A Slave's Freedom
by Hades27
Summary: Things were going well after the war, but what happens when Quatre Winner gets a 'gift' from a ghastly slave-trader? And why is the boy so important? inspired by Ammie Hawk's story Shattered Pawn.
1. Chapter 1

**A Slave's Freedom**

**By Hades27**

**Rating; M**

**Warnings; enslavement, abuse, language, mentions of rape, suicide attempts both past and future,self-harm...basically anything.**

**Disclaimer; don't own anything despite how much I would like to :( **

He couldn't help but sniffle as he fingered the cold metal collar that was fastened around his neck, its silver surface greedily drinking the blood that ran from a cut above his eyebrow. It wasn't particularly deep, but then again, head wounds always bled a lot. The door to the SUV opened; a meaty hand latched onto the back of his neck and roughly yanked him out.

"C'mon, boy." The large man jerked him forward. Harry loathed himself when he followed submissively. He didn't used to be like this. Wasn't always a good little slave. When his uncle had first put the monstrosity on his neck, he had put up a valiant fight. Scratching, punching, hitting, he fought tooth and nail for three months. Three agonizingly long months. Slowly, his spirit broke, and he finally succumbed to his slavery. Soon, all too soon, the lithe, strong Harrrison James Potter became the weak, broken and unbearably skinny Harry. Slave, and now a gift for the wealthy teen high up in the Hierarchy. Another tear fell. It always depressed him, thinking about who he had been, and who he was now. Giving a soundless sniffle-he had learned quickly that his Master's didn't like any sound from him unless they were using him for their little toy, of course. _Then _they liked his sobbing. He tucked an errant strand of dirtied raven hair behind a delicate ear. It was long; falling limply down to his butt. His captors liked it. Made him more girly, they said. He actually didn't mind the hair, though. Not because it pleased his Masters, heavens no! But because if he ever got away, it would serve as a reminder for the hardships he went through. Because in his mind, _nothing _was as terrible as getting your identity, your free will, and your right to live taken away. He refused to come out of this as the same person he was when he went in. He would come out changed. It didn't matter, he guessed, because so far things were not looking so good. The collars that were slowly creeping their way around the world were voice-activated. It made it so that the only person who could take a collar off of a slave was the one who first collared him or her. Vernon was the one who put the ghastly thin around his neck. Vernon, who was now dead. So Harry's rights were taken away. He was no longer considered a human being. Now, he was a possession. A thing that was traded and bought as if he wasn't a living, breathing thing. But that wasn't what had broken his spirit, either. No, it was the one dark secret that had been carefully hidden away until Vernon, as a last attempt to break his nephew, had whispered in his ear with his last dying breath.

'James Potter' Vernon had said 'was the one who started it all.'

Harry had completely shut down, his mind going numb with the revelation. Apparently, James potter wasn't as 'light' as he had fooled everyone to believe. The first two victims, Harry had found after vigorous research. They had had the metal rings around their neck, had been enslaved without the world-or themselves-understanding what it meant for almost the entire duration for their lives. Now, after they had saved the world, though most didn't make the connection that they _were_ the Gundam Pilots, the government refused to acknowledge the fact that they had been moving about freely for all of their lives. Harry had heard that their lovers had bought them, so they were able to go anywhere without supervision. He knew because he had the same collar around his own neck. He had no doubt in his mind that their lovers were doing everything they could to get the crow-begotten metal off, and Harry could only wish his hardest that they succeeded. Not so that the key to freedom was found-he deserved what he got in payment for his Father's-no, _Potters _mistakes and grievances, but so that the two imprisoned ex-Gundam pilots could be free again. They certainly earned it. Many times over, in fact. A harsh blow to his face sent him sprawling on the ground. Blinking, he was mildly surprised to find he was already in the conference room, lying on the carpeted floor. Looming to his left was a long rectangular table, and sitting at it's head was none other than Quatre Winner, head of the W.E.I., suspected Pilot of one of the Gundams, and gurrently looking at him with impassive eyes. Shamefully, he lowered his head, knowing better than to get up without permission.

"You remember James Potter, don't you Mister Winner?" The large man-Hanner, he was called, said in his oily voice.

"Of course. The creator of the notorious collars. Of slavery." Said not Winner, but the Chinese teen standing to his right.

Hanner beamed, puffing his chest proudly. No doubt trying to look like a proud peacock, but instead managing only to look like a constipated walrus. "And what a fine thing he created, eh?"

The blond said nothing.

_Bastard_ Harry couldn't help but think. Hanner knew full well that it was because of James Potter that two of the pilots were enslaved. Both teens inclined their heads.

"Well this" Harry bit his lip when Hanner gave him a vicious kick to his side, but didn't protest as his body flew across the room to land with a crash against the legs of a discarded chair. Still, he lay prone, eyes staring blankly at the blue carpet that was in front of his eyes. "This is his son."

Silence followed Hanners triumphant statement.

The blond finally opened his mouth. "And?"

Surprisingly enough, Hanner wasn't phased by the emotionless word. "His voice is almost identical to his Fathers. If you give me thirty percent of W.E.I. I will _give _you young Harry. He can free your lover, Mister Winner. Just for thirty percent."

"Done. Wufei? The contract, please."

Harry knew instantly that Hanner should have read the contract before signing. In all likeliness, the blond just handed the large man a completely different contract, but being the highly unintelligent mound of lard that he was, Hanner went straight to the end and signed his name in a confident, messy scrawl. Harry knew he was correct when a merciless gleam crept into the sky blue eyes.

"Thank you for your business, Mister Hanner. You can expect some of my people on Monday to make sure thae transition runs smoothly."

Grinning, Hanner left with one last disgusted glance to his ex-slave.

"Oh, Mister Hanner?" Winner called.

"The man paused "Yes?"

"Who collared this boy?"

The fat man gave them an approving grin. "Want to kill him so Harry can't get free, eh? Well, you're too late. Vernon is dead. Rather glad he is, too. You see, this one didn't used to submit so sweetly, you know. Spent the first three months fighting back so furiously that at first we thought he might actually be the first one to get free-would have been a good Preventer, too. But whatever Vernon said to him before he died" Hanner gave a low whistle "Totally broke him. Don't worry, Mister Winner. He is completely submissive." He leered grossly "In every way."

Harry wanted to deny it. To snap back and fight, but he couldn't. Because as much as he hated it, what the man said was true.

Winner didn't even reply to Hanner as the large man lumbered out. A moment later, two expencive brown shoes entered Harry's field of vision, then two knees as the owner of the shoes knelt, followed by a pale, caloused hand that gently slipped under his chin and raising it. The blue eyes gazed at him, no longer expressionless but shining with concern. "Are you alright, little one?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, Master."

Hands slipped under his arms, lifting Harry to his feet.

"M-may I speak, Master?" He flinched when the words slipped out of his mouth, but it was already too late to pull them back.

"You may speak whenever you so desire, little one."

Harry froze; risking a disbelieving glance at is new masters open face. "M-master?" He choked out.

Winner smiled gently "I will not deny you your rights, Harry. And please; call me Quatre. I would very much like to be known first and foremost as a friend."

The world darkened as his breath came in quick gasps "B-b" he stuttered.

A silencing finger was placed on his lips. "How old are you, little one?"

"F-fourteen, Master Quatre."

"Just Quatre, Harry. No 'Master". I'm your friend, remember?" The blond chastised gently.

"There is a price for friendship, Master Quatre" Harry murmured "Always is."

Quatre's gaze sharpened, and the other teen-Wufei?- spoke. "What was the last price?"

He knew it! They were just pretending. "N-no! Please don't! Please don't make me-I beg you!"

"Harry."

"I-I'll do anything!"

"_Harry_."

"I promise! Just-"

"_Harry!_"

The sharp voice made him cringe, shoulders slumping and eyes trained on his shoeless feet.

"Forgive me, Master. I had forgotten my place. What would you like me to do?"

"_Nothing._" Came the firm reply. A cool hand forced his gaze up and into a calm face. "I am your friend. Period, no strings attached. No requirements."

"You want me to free your friends." Harry murmured.

The blond hesitated. "Yes." He admitted "We love them very much. If your voice truly is like your father's, then that is at least a small chance that they can be free. Please, Harry Potter. Please free them."

Harry jerked back as if hit, but he ended up backing into a warm chest. Strong arms encircled him."Little one?"

It was Wufei.

"Please, master Quatre" Harry pleaded "I am no Potter. I would never create such an abomination as the collars, nor commit such acts as my…sire….did."

The arms shifted, lifting his entire body and cradling him like a child.

"Easy, Green Eyes" The blond murmured, walking forward until he was standing directly in front of him. "If you don't wish to be a Potter, Then you won't be a Potter."

Slowly, Harry relaxed, only mildly protesting when the clean fingers ran through his unwashed hair. "Master, it is dirty!" He objected.

"Hush, Harry." Quatre admonished. "Why don't you go to sleep? I will wake you when we get to the manor."

Obediently, Harry closed his eyes. The sweet release of sleep washed in with gentle waves and the soft rocking of the arms that cradled him so carefully.

XX

"This is him? Poor kid."

"James Potter's son? He looks as if he is eleven years at most."

"He is a slave who had an abusive Master. It was to be expected."

"He is waking up, Heero."

A warm hand touched his forehead. "Fever is gone. Child? Can you open your eyes? Open your eyes, Harry."

Hesitantly, Harry did as ordered, breath catching as his eyes landed upon the form of the one and only Heero Yuy. Pilot of the Gundam Wing Zero, 'Perfect Soldier', and current Preventer. He saw the faded jeans, black tank top, and lean, intimidating muscles, completed by the piercing Prussian blue eyes.

And the silver collar around his neck.

Without pause, Harry shot up from the bed only to fall to his knees at the Pilot's feet. Hands clasped in front of him, Harry threw aside what shreds of dignity he might have had left and shamelessly begged for forgiveness. Even though most of his words were unintelligible, the meaning to them was undoubtedly clear.

"I'm sorry!" He finally cried "I'm so sorry."

Then Yuy's arms were around him, pressing his head into a strong shoulder, where he sobbed degradingly.

"It is not your fault, Green Eyes." The usually unmovable teen murmured. "It's okay."

Harry shook his head violently before clutching the teen closer. With a nervous clearing of his throat, he deepened his voice slightly. "I, James Charlus Potter, hereby declare Heero Yuy and" His eyes flicked over the rest of the assembled Pilots before him, finding his target with relative ease "Trowa Barton Free People, effective immediately."

Instantly, the two silver collars clicked open, falling to the floor with a clunk. The room was silent for only a moment before disbelieving laughs filled the room as the two were assaulted by their friends and lovers. A bittersweet feeling rose up as Harry quietly crept back into the bead. Turning on his side to curl around a fluffy pillow. A skeleton-like hand fingered his own collar. Even though there would be no freedom for him, he truly was glad he could at least right some of the wrongs his father committed. Perhaps he could find a way to kill himself? He didn't want to remain in this world any longer than necessary. He traced the thick, long scar on his left forearm. He knew that another, more jagged one was on his right arm, and yet another, smaller one where he tried to stab himself in the heart-would have succeeded too, if Hanner hand' t come charging in, startling him enough to mess up his aim and the force of his thrust. Three times, he had tried. Three times tried and failed. Forth time's a charm? He scrunched his eyes shut, clutching the pillow tighter. He could do it tonight, when they were all occupied with their lovers. He still had on the long, ratty turtleneck that hung off one shoulder, and the washed out jeans that hung precariously on his bony hips, so it was possible that the small razor that he kept stitched into his sleeve was still there, along with a small pocketknife that he kept in a small pocked in his right pant leg. Hanner would have been furious to find the small, delicate criss-crossing scars that littered his arms. Luckily enough, the fan man was either too drunk, or overcome with lust or rage to notice them whenever Harry slipped up and revealed the skin of his arms. Suddenly, the silence in the room struck him as odd. Looking up, he flinched when his jade eyes met the wide, horrified blue of his new Ma-er, friend? No, he had no friends. His new _Master._

"Harry." Quatre whispered "You're not thinking about harming yourself, are you?"

The other teens stared at him with unsurprised, grim gazes. He was still required to answer, no matter how much he didn't want to-he was a horrible liar, after all. "Perhaps, master." He murmured shamefully.

"Harry."

He jumped as the gentle voice off Trowa Barton sounded much closer than expected. He glanced up and froze when not two feet away was the one visible eye of the Heavyarms Pilot, the other covered by bangs that defied gravity. Harry snorted. Even as grievous a situation as this, he couldn't help but notice the odd bangs. "Yes, master Barton?"

What came next was unnerving. "Show us your arms."

Harry froze, staring in wide-eyed innocence at the teen. "Master?"

They weren't fooled.

"Do as he asked, harry." Quatre murmured, gaze fixed on the covered limbs.

Panic brused lightly at his sences as he curled further around the pillow, burying his face in its fluffy depths. "Master" He whispered. He didn't want to! "Master, please."

Gentle, but firm hands drew his right arm away from his body, stretching the complying limb out with a gentleness that until now, Harry had never known. When they started to roll the sleeve up, he couldn't help but struggle. High, terrified keening reached his ears, and it took him a moment to realize that it was him making the noise. Hands carded through his hair, soothing him as one might soothe a frightened animal.

He loathed the fact that it worked.

Slowly, his fluttering heart slowed. His sleeve was already pushed back, and he was mildly surprised to find Heero Yuy gently wrapping pristine white cloth around the fresh cuts on his wrists.

"Strip."

Harry froze at the Chinese's quiet order, muscles tensing. "M-master Wufei?"

Onyx eyes studied him. "I have no intention of molesting or harming you, Harrison." He stated calmly "We need to check your body for other injuries, and your clothes for potentially dangerous objects." The five stepped closer to him.

Defeated before he could even start, harry reached up with trembling hands and slipped off first his shirt, then his pants, wordlessly handing them over to his Master. The room seemed to hiss, and it took him a few minutes to realize that it was his new Masters all sucking in their breaths sharply. He glanced down at his body uncomprehendingly. What was wrong with them? Sure, scars were all over, as were bruises and cuts, and each of his ribs jutted out, but really, what did they expect? Apparently, his thoughts showed on his face, for Wufei gave him a short bow.

"You will not have to worry about that anymore, little one." The braided Pilot-Duo Maxwell-murmured, brushing a stray strand of hair out from Harry's eyes.

It was with great disbelief that Harry allowed the five ex-pilots to care for him-Quatre even helped him bathe before they bandaged the rest of his wounds. Hours later, harry was found sitting on the floor by Quatre's feet reading a book-his first possession, besides the clothes upon his back. All five teens had tried to cajole him into sitting on the couch, but he adamantly refused. The result was something that Harry had never expected in his wildest dreams. He was sitting with his back against the couch, his Master's legs on each side of him. Gentle hands ran on equally gentle brush through his newly washed hair. He had been quite surprised to find that without all the dirt and grease, his hair was soft and silky, tumbling in thick curls and waves down to his waist. He had forgotten what his hair looked like washed. The teens had dressed him in soft black sweatpants and a thick cotton hoodie that positively swallowed him. Even with that on, Quatre insisted that he wrap himself in a soft, warm blanket and cover his feet with fuzzy socks. Tentively, he allowed himself a small ray of hope. Perhaps, just perhaps, he might like it here. Quatre had already sat him down, selling him sternly that even though he had a collar around his neck, they did not consider him in any way their slave. In fact, Duo had cheerfully told him he was more like a little brother than anything else, even though he had only just met the boy.

Harry hadn't cried at the proclamation, but it was close. Currently they were all reclining in Quatre's manor in the Arabian Desert. They were in a rather spacious living room that had a rectangular coffee table in the center, a large television in front, and three black leather couches capable of sitting three people around it. Only one, however, was being used. Across from the T.V. Harry sat on the floor, Quatre in the middle of the couch and directly behind him. To the blonds' right was his lover, Trowa Barton, who had a book in his lap and was reading vivaciously. In front of Trowa was- much to Harry's surprise, Wufei with a larger, thicker tome in his lap and thin, square wire glasses perched on his nose. Harry couldn't help but giggle at the image. He looked like a studious college student! To the blond's left was Heero Yuy, a nondescript laptop balanced on his knees and nimble fingers clacking away at the keys, though every once in a while a hand reached down to run through his loners hair or brush a delicate cheek belonging to the American, who was sitting at his feet. Said American was currently engaged in a game of Othello with Harry, after succeeding in persuading him into a game. In his mind, though, Harry was already tearing through the possibilities upon possibilities of his future. He paused, jade eyes widening and a gasp tearing out of his throat as a thought struck him. The hands on his hair paused, as did the clacking of the keys.

"Harry?"

Harry gazed out into the fire, which was crackling under the T.V. Though the Winner no doubt had more than enough money for heat, the fire gave the manor a more homey feeling. A hand landed on his shoulder, and Harry looked up to meet Wufei's concerned gaze.

"What is wrong?"

Harry started to speak, but then bit his lip. What if Quatre didn't let him? He did deserve his enslavement, after all.

"Harry!" The sharp voice of Heero yanked him out of his thoughts.

"Master Quatre." He whispered "Please, Master Quatre!"

Hands curled about his arms, lifting him into a warm lap. Automatically, Harry wrapped slim arms around the blonds' neck, trying to prevent himself from purring in delight when strong arms cradled him to the firm chest in return.

"Please what, little one? What do you need?" The blond queried earnestly.

"M-my Uncle." Harry choked out, having to pause to prevent himself from stuttering. "My Uncle has a son. What if what I did for Master's Trowa and Heero works for me? Please, Master Quatre, _please!_"

The clacking returned, more furiously than ever. Duo bounced up in excitement, laughing happily all the while as he hugged Harry enthusiastically. "Hee-chan will find him Har-Har! We'll get you free in no time."

Harry couldn't stop himself from smiling indulgently. "I dearly hope so, Master Duo."

The braided teen waved a finger under his nose. "Now now, Green Eyes" Duo scolded good-naturedly "soon you won't be allowed to call us that!"

Harry looked down in shame "I don't know if I can, Master Duo." He mumbled, then shrugged helplessly. "Habit."

Duo laughed and plopped down on Trowa's lap, flinging an arm in between Harry's neck and Quatre's chest to pull the raven's head into his own lap. Trowa grunted quietly, but said nothing, instead choosing to run a soothing hand through Harry';s black locks.

"Don't worry, Ry." Duo reassured "I'll break you of that particular habit in no time."

Not two days ago, had someone said that to him, he would have flinched away in fear of _how _that habit would be broken. Now, he simply purred, burrowing his head in Duo's lap and digging his feet under Quatre's legs. It was with a content sigh that he fell asleep, a small smile lingering upon his lips.

**A/N: Well, that's the end of chapter one, hope it was enjoyed! Don't know when I'll be able to update. As you may or may not know, this will be my first multi-chapter story, so the lengths of said chapters may vary as I get used to writing. A word of warning; I have not actually watched Gundam Wing, (does anyone know where I could watch the episodes for free?) so everything that I mention I learned about by reading other crossover's of HP/GW. This story is greatly inspired by one of Ammie Hawk's fics, one that the author has not updated in quite a while (very disappointing to me, I was looking forward to it. Anyone know if it was abandoned? It's called Shattered Pawn). If I make any mistakes, please inform me, though right now I'm still getting used to using the whole fanfiction thing, so things might be a bit wacky for a while. And like always; ****Criticism will be smiled at, Flames will be scoffed at, and this website will be snarled at. **

**Reviews are nice.**

**Ciao! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A Slave's Freedom Chapter 2**

**By Hades27**

**Rated; M**

**Disclaimer: don't own anything! Still wishing I did, though...**

**Warnings; the usual. I have them written on Chapter 1. If there is anything specific, I'll say. Otherwise, look on first chapter. **

"Haaaarry." A voice whispered, "Harry! Wakey-wakey. Time to get up. C'mon, Har! Tro-Tro made us pancakes!"

Harry groaned, clutching the pillow tighter to his body in a testimony of his unwillingness to do as asked.

Someone snickered from behind him. "Kitten, my leg is falling asleep."

Alarmed, Harry cracked open an eye. It was to his growing horror to find that the 'pillow' he had his arms wrapped around was actually Duo's right leg. Though his head was resting on the lithe, muscular thigh, Harry was spared at least some embarrassment since he was facing away from the braided pilot. His face grew hot in thought of what people would think if he was facing _towards _the admittedly good-looking teen.

"Master Duo!" He squeaked, hurriedly releasing the captured limb and jolting into a sitting position.

"Hey, hey! Easy, Kitten. M'not mad." Duo reassured, pulling a reluctant Harry into his lap and hugging him close.

"I'm sorry, Master Duo," Harry said, green eyes widened in distress "I didn't mean to, honest!"

The air suddenly became harder to breathe, barely creeping into his gasping lungs. Eyes wide with fright, Harry clutched his throat, whimpering then his vision started to gray. Then, a calloused hand grasped his chin, pulling it upwards. Blue eyes met panicked green.

"Harry." Heero said calmly "Relax. You're safe, Duo isn't man, and neither am I. Just breathe, Okay? Breathe."

Harry tried t follow the instructions, truly he did, but the air still wouldn't come. His mouth fell open, and he had no doubt that he looked like a gaping fish. But still no air. Suddenly, he was flipped around, his back pressed to someone's chest and steady arms clasped about his waist.

"Harry," The person murmured, warm breath tickling his ear. The chest behind him expanded, and then retracted. Once, twice, three times. Each was slow and even. "Can you feel that? Concentrate on it, little one. Concentrate, now."

Harry focused on the person behind him with all his might. He felt the chest expand again. In, out. In, out. In, out. Before he knew it, he had calmed down, following the quiet encouragements to breathe with them. Unconsciously, he found himself relaxing, falling limp into his savior's arms.

"Good job, Harry." His 'rescuer' praised. Wufei.

"I'm sorry, Master." He sniffled. All he seemed to do since arriving here was apologize. Before he could quite understand what was happening, a black blur threw itself at him and Wufei, arms clasping tightly around both himself and the Chinese teen.

"There is nothing to apologize for, Kitten." Duo cried, burying his face in Harry's soft hair.

"Breakfast is done, Duo." Trowa stated just loud enough to be heard from the kitchen. As if by magic, the self-proclaimed Shinigami brightened, grinning widely as he released Harry and Wufei and bounced to where the food was, all the while professing his eternal love to the silent green-eyed teen. That is until he caught sight of his scowling boyfriend, of course. Wufei and Harry followed at a more sedate pace, the former rolling his eyes and the later giggling quietly behind his hands.

"Master Wufei?"

Onyx eyes swung towards him. "Yes, little one?"

Harry darted furvative emerald eyes around the room. "Is" He whispered "Is Master Duo always like this?"

Much to his surprise, Wufei smiled in amusement, one calloused hand coming up to rest on the back of Harry's neck. "Yes. Very much so."

Harry opened his mouth to reply, but the very object of their discussion came flouncing out, caught Harry's hand, and dragged him energetically into the kitchen.

"Sit!" He demanded, pushing Harry gently into a chair and loading his plate with pancakes, syrup, and various types of fruit. Harry couldn't help but feel hurt and confused. Why was Duo taunting him so?

"M-master Duo?" He whispered, staring at the person who until now, he had grown to like.

Instantly, the light atmosphere dimmed.

"Kitten? What's wrong?" Quatre asked as the moved closer, though he stopped when Harry recoiled. "Harry?" The one-name query grew alarmed.

"Why is Master Duo being so mean?" Harry blurted but then immediatly froze, peering fearfully at his Masters as they all gazed at him with concerned and confused eyes. To his horror, Duo came forward, moving with deadly grace. Surprisingly, the violet-eyed teen sank to his knees, placing himself just below Harry's eyelevel.

"Kitten? Kitten, please look at me. Please?" Reluctantly, Harry raised his eyes. "What did I do? Tell me, little one. How was I mean to you?"

Unexpected bitterness rose u inside Harry, and he dropped his gaze to his lap. Suddenly, the ugliness of his fingers astounded him. They were pale, and bony. Their nails were chipped and dirtied, and the pads were calloused and scarred. They were disgusting. No wonder his Master's were taunting him. He would, too, he supposed. If he was free, and had more money and more confidence…well, perhaps not. He could never hurt someone, even if they were like Hanner. Still, he could understand his Master's revulsion.

"Harry?"

"M'not 'lowed to eat, Master Duo." He recited, raising pitiful eyes to peek at the American. "No food Monday and Sunday, or any day in-between unless I really, really have to. Only water or nothing for drinks and only after everyone else has their fill."

Duo sighed. "Oh, Kitten. Here things are done differently. Not only are you allowed to eat, but you are _required _to, okay?"

Harry stared at him in disbelief and not a small amount of skepticism. "Really?"

One finger flicked at his nose gently. "Really, little one. Here."

Hesitantly, Harry took the offered strawberry, biting into it' juicy sweetness as he eyed the braided teen suspiciously.

"You have nothing to fear, little one." Quatre murmured, moving to sit beside him. Trowa sat on his lover's right in all his silent glory, his jade eyes so similar to Harry's own staring passively at the table, though Harry knew that at the first sign of trouble the one visible eye would alight in concealed strength and barely restrained rage. Slowly, the others filled in at their places. No one sat at the head of the rectangular table, as the head was a position of power, and not only were the pilot's all equals, but none would even think about proclaiming himself as above the comrades he considered brothers. Across from where Harry sat was the Chinese teen, and next to him was Duo. Heero was, of course, at the end sitting across from Trowa, both seeming to revel in the silence of each others presence, though each had a hand on their lover's braid or leg. Cautiously, Harry slipped a protective arm around his plate, huddling in as close as he could before digging in with a vengeance and thereby missing the morose glances the other's shared over his head.

The rest of the meal was spent filled with Duo's chatter, Quatre's humming, and Heero's quiet reprimands of 'baka' whenever the violet-eyed pilot almost knocked something over in his vigor in whatever he was saying. It wasn't until the doorbell rang that anything interesting happened.

"Master Quatre?" A huge man who moved rather gracefully for one his size stepped into the room. "Lady Une is here to see you about that Preventers job she offered you."

"Of course. Please, send her in. I am sure she will be eager to see the others as well."

The man gave a short bow. "As you wish."

"Thank you, Rashid." Quatre replied courteously before turning when Harry gave a hesitant tug on his sleeve. "Yes, Harry?"

"Why does he call you 'master', Master?" he whispered "He doesn't have a collar."

Quatre sighed quietly. "A very long story, little one. Perhaps I will tell you later on."

Harry nodded, recognizing the gentle but firm refusal to give an answer. Quatre's refusal was much better than Hanner's deceitful lies or rage-filled beatings. "Yes, Master."

Quatre shot him a long-suffering look and said; "Please, it is just Quatre."

"Of course, Master Quatre." Harry dared tease the blond. Though most blinked in shock, their pleased smiles followed soon after.

"Lady Une. Welcome.' Quatre broke the moment, albeit reluctantly. Harry stared wide-eyed at the newcomer. She looked normal enough, with brown hair and forgettable eyes covered in circular glasses. She was on the shorter side, the top of her head not even clearing Rashid's shoulder, but while she was nondescript, her bearing screamed dangerous, and her eyes flickered about attentively.

"Good evening, Winner. I did not know you had a…guest." Unabashed eyes darted pointedly to the silver collar around Harry's neck, then to the bare ones of Heero and Trowa. Harry couldn't help but flinch at the knowing gaze, and his hand seemed to dart out to grasp Quatre's sleeve without his permission. Not that he was willing to let go now that it was there, of course. The room temperature seemed to drop every passing second.

"Harry is our friend and permanent addition to this family, Lady." Trowa spoke up, his green eyes frosty as he gazed at the head of the Preventers. "It is suggested that you get used to him."

Harry could tell that the Lady Une was unused to the blunt, sharp, almost reproachful tone that the uni-banged pilot used with her by the way she blinked. Of course, the gun she pulled out a second later might have helped his deductive reasoning as well. Instantly, Harry's view was changed before the metal contraption could fully clear its holster, and he found himself crouching in Quatre's arms as the others surrounded them protectively. Even the big man-Rashid- snarled. Five guns were trained on the Lady, but to everyone's astonishment, Une simply laughed, readily surrendering her weapon to Rashid.

"Forgive me, but I needed to see how keen you were on the little one's protection. I mean neither him nor you any harm." Her hands were splayed out and raised into the air, but still no one moved. Smiling slightly in understanding, she took a full step back. Only then did the five pilots relax, but their guns stayed out, even if they weren't raised.

"Lady Une, I accept the position of a part-time Agent, but I must ask you to leave immediately." Quatre said, his voice strained from where it emitted from above Harry's head. "As saddened as I am to say this," Quatre continued "I must ask you to refrain from attempting to approach Harry in the nearby future, as the incident will not be soon forgotten."

Une nodded, and Harry could see her walking away if he peaked over Quatre's arm. "Master Quatre?" he asked tentatively, for once not cringing when five pairs of eyes swung towards him-even if he couldn't see them all, he could still feel their gazes upon him. "Does that mean you are going to be leaving?"

"Yes, Kitten, it does. I have to work, you know-as does everyone else. But you know what? We will _always _come back."

Harry sniffed, looking up at the blond with soulful green eyes. "But isn't it dangerous? What if you get hurt?"

Quatre hushed him, gently hugging him and running soothing hands through his hair. "Then Duo or one of the others will take care of you."

"And what if _they_ die, too?"

Quatre gave a half-amused, half-frustrated chuckle. "Then Rashid or one of his brothers would take you in, or Relena, or Zechs, or Catherine…little one, there are many people who are unwilling to let you have a master like Hanner again. Though most would like to see you free, as opposed to a slave."

"B-but _why?_" Harry stuttered out. "They don't even know me, Master."

"No, but they love you all the same." Duo spoke up, shooting him a small grin as he bounced around the table, seemingly careless as he stowed his gun away. "C'mon, Kitten! We have a shopping day ahead of us. Kitty-cat is coming too!"

Harry blinked. "Shopping, Master Duo?" Was it possible that a trusted Master like Master Duo could grin so evilly? "Ah, Master Trowa?" he whispered, staring plaintively up at the uni-banged teen. The stoic pilot actually smirked, ruffling his hair in what Harry thought might have been a rare affectionate gesture, but said nothing in encouragement.

"Master Heero?"

The Prussian-eyed teen gave him a despondent look, but winked a minute later. "Forgive me, Harry, but once Maxwell wants something, it is impossible to sway him otherwise."

Duo snorted, muttering what sounded suspiciously like 'you should know'.

Harry turned green at the implications, while the braided teen simply laughed merrily and grabbed his hand.

"Just think of something else, Harr-Harr." Duo grinned, glancing casually over his shoulder. "Quatre? Are you _cumming?_"

Harry choked and whimpered slightly, gaining a sympathetic look from the resident Chinese teen. "You will get used to it eventually, Harry."

For some reason, Harry couldn't see that as a good thing.

**A/N; Well that is the second chapter, sorry for it being on the shorter side. Hope you all enjoyed! I was so glad to see my writing didn't suck, and I am eternally grateful for the sites that were suggested. I have watched only a couple episodes, but I have already fallen in love! So far I don't have a pairing in mind for Harry, but perhaps one will come to me later on. Feel free to suggest your opinions on whom he should be with! As for the wizarding world…well, you'll see. Explanations will come sometime in the near future. I will try to update often, but if the timing is wacky keep in mind that I like to take a few days after I write before re-reading my story to make sure any mistakes are corrected, and even then I miss stuff. Or you can just blame high school….I don't know how I survive it... Next chapter; the dreaded shopping with Duo! Poor, poor Harry. Aaaand as always; Criticism will be smiled at, Flames will be scoffed at, and this website will be snarled at. **

**Reviews are nice.**

**Ciao! **

**Hades27**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**By Hades27**

**Rated; M**

**Disclaimer: don't own anything! Still wishing I did, though...**

**Warnings; the usual. I have them written on Chapter 1. If there is anything specific, I'll say. Otherwise, look on first chapter.**

A short while ago, in a land not so far away stood a man, his white beard tangled, his halt-moon glasses crooked and his blue eyes half-crazed. Most would think it to be a rather spectacular sight, and the man lying sprawled on the ground could only agree. However, looking upon the old man only one phrase would enter any onlookers mind.

Oh, how power corrupts.

Once upon a time, the old man might have been that kind, doddering old grandfather that his mask portrayed. Perhaps he might have cared. Maybe then-but no longer. After Grindelwald was defeated, victory and power warped the old man's mind. He enjoyed the never-ending praise, the adoring smiles and the awestruck expressions that followed him wherever he went. All too soon, things changed. _He _changed. He wanted more. He wanted to be obeyed without question; he wanted the people to be _his._ Years went by with the old man biding his time. Slowly, painstakingly, his humanity was chipped away, replaced by a foul monster hiding under the guise of a kind-hearted grandfather. No one could see through his ask. No one, save for one small, orphaned boy. A prodigy, and admittedly a bit of an outcast within Hogwarts. Of course the boy was in Slytherin. He wasn't fanatically loyal to Dumbledore and his ideals like the Gryffindors, or studious or hard-working like the 'Claws or Puffs. No, Tom Marvolo Riddle was cunning and preferred to dabbling in the darker side of magic. Not evil, no Slytherins were black and white _evil_- he, just like the rest of his housemates, understood and empathized with all of the misunderstood magic's and magical creatures in the Wizarding world. The old man hated the boy. He hated Riddle's knowing looks and disdainful glares. Most of all, though, he absolutely _loathed _the vigilante group called Death Eaters whose sole purpose was to stop him in his madness. Oh yes, he would admit to not being fully there in the head-what good man wasn't? But that didn't stop him of course. Would never stop him. At first, Riddle seemed to be the winning side. Yet as the war started, the old man's most loyal follower rose up with a new creation. The Slave Collar. He had been ecstatic with young James Potter's invention. Truth be told, its creation had purely been an accident. A side-effect of a botched prank.

And so the first slave, Miranda Parkinson had been collared.

Enthusiastically, Dumbledore ordered more, and what Dumbledore wanted, Dumbledore got. The Marauders began cranking out their products despite James' fiancé Lily Evans' avid protests and the small niggling in the back of their minds that what they were doing was wrong. The following battles between the 'light' and the 'dark' sides were furious and merciless. In the end, Tom Riddle cracked under the immense pressure of both fighting the Manipulative Old Coot and being labeled as a Dark lord and Traitor to the Wizarding World. Riddle faded, and Voldemort took his place.

"Lost in your memories, old man?"

The rough rasp of the current occupant of the dungeon floor had crazed blue eyes snapping onto the onyx ones of his prisoner. "No," the old man replied in a jovial voice, "simply the musings of a Headmaster and fellow Wizard like yourself."

The occupant of the floor examined his yellowing fingernails in disinterest, but sighted a moment later. "Why are you here, Albus?"

"I am here for the same thing as always, Severus."

Severus 'hmmed'. "And what would that be, exactly? I fear my mind has wandered more and more for every visit."

"Don't play dumb, Snape." The old man snapped, "tell me where you hid the boy."

"Patience, Albus." Severus chided, "Your mask is slipping."

The old man hissed like an enraged cat who just lost its treat. "you have no idea how tempting it is to simply discard it completely and flay you alive, boy."

The man on the ground snorted. "I am hardly a boy, Albus. And as for potter…" He gave a short, bitter laugh. "Who said I had anything to with him? Harry was already on the way to disappearing. I simply helped things along. A charm here, obliviate there. Did you know that the Fidelias charm could be cast upon a human?"

Albus Dumbledore roared in rage at the obvious gloating and cast a rather powerful stinging hex at the man, but to his great displeasure his ex-Potions Master didn't even give him the pleasure of flinching. "Who is the Secret Keeper?" bellowed he.

Severus went back to examining his nails "You know I am unable to answer that, Albus."

The Headmaster of Hogwarts gave a very uncharacteristic hiss before demanding; "Where is your Master?"

Onyx eyes rolled in exasperation. "The Dark lord is hidden. The boy is hidden. The Death Eaters are hidden. We, unlike you, are all very good at treading carefully when it comes to our safety." The Potions Master sneered up at the dank ceiling. "Your Gryffindors are quite unremarkable when it comes to war tactics, Dumbledore. Quite unremarkable indeed."

He gave a triumphant smirk when the old man's Face slowly turned a lovely puce shade. "You know," he continued in a rather conversational tone, "if you want to find interesting people, you should look at Harry's Great Uncle Tom. He's quite an interesting person."

"You know full well that I don't have access to the Evan's family tree, Snape. Your object of infatuation made sure of that before she died."

As if someone had flipped a switch, Severus lunged upwards at the man, only to sag back down a moment later as he was unable to hold himself up. Still, when he spoke his voice was strong and steely. "Lily was hardly a mere object, Albus." He couldn't help but let a bit of smugness creep into his voice "After all, objects couldn't do the things she did. Truly, she was a…_remarkable _woman. Would have done extraordinarily well in Slytherin, if only she let the Sorting Hat place her there."

Dumbledore took a deep breath once. Twice. Three times. Then; "Name the location of Lord Voldemort's Manor, and I might consider letting Lily's son live-for a while."

"Tsk tsk, Albus. Don't you know that it is a Castle? You have seen pictures of it before. Oh, dear. I am terribly sorry. You can't remember anything of it, can you? A certain charm requiring a Secret Keeper can do that to you. Frustrating, isn't it?"

"Answer me, Severus Snape!" Dumbledore roared, robes whipping about in an unseen breeze.

Severus merely looked on in disgust as he spat out a garble of blood. "Did you happen to see the Potter Family Tree, then?" He flicked his eyes over to the tapestry that hung limply on the wall. A way of torture, he supposed. Having to see the family of the one person you loathed most on this world was not a pleasant thing. Not a pleasant thing at all. "Harry seemed to have disinherited himself. Good luck trying to find him now."

"I will. Find. Him." Dumbledore ground out.

Severus couldn't help the pity that crept into his eyes even as his heart bled in longing for Lily. His precious, fiery Lily, never hesitant to say what was on her mind, or stand up for a friend in need. Lily would have felt pity too, if she had been there to see the wreak that was once a great man. Still, he had only one thing to say.

"Oh how far you have fallen, Albus Dumbledore."

Blue eyes turned to ice.

"Crucio!"

XXX

Harry looked up at the sky, the sun's tears staining its vast surface red. He couldn't help but notice that the red was the exact shade of blood. A sense of foreboding filled him. He had seen a movie, once. One of the characters-an elf- had said that blood had been spilt the night before as he had gazed up at a sunrise that looked just like the one Harry was looking at now. In the moment, Harry couldn't help but agree. How could a sunrise that looked like _that _be a good thing? Perhaps Tolkien had been on to something.

"Harry? Are you alright?" Quatre's soft voice emitted from his right, and Harry turned to face his Master. One hand tugged uncomfortably at the soft silk scarf that was looped around his neck, concealing the collar that was clasped tight as ever underneath its dark green depths.

"I am fine, Master Quatre. Simply lost in thoughts…Master? May I ask a question?"

Quatre smiled at him. "Of course, Green Eyes."

Harry pointed over to where Duo, in all his braided glory, was chattering excitedly to a large hot dog vender. A vender whose face became progressively more and more purple as the self-proclaimed Shinigami gave no indication that he was going to stop his talking anytime soon. "Is Master Duo going to be okay?"

The blond teen glanced over and grinned faintly as the vender started to crack his massive knuckled, muscles rippling as the huge body shifted slightly. "Oh, yes. Duo will be just fine. Aaron is quite used to Duo's…unfortunate disposition of chattering until someone's ear falls off. Don't worry, he won't hurt Duo…much." The last part was mumbled, but harry heard it anyways. Still, he was reassured as they continued down the street. Though it was only mid-morning, the sun was already up and beating down on them with merciless ferocity. It was with great relief that he was led into a small store, even if the braided menace danced in after them, violet eyes alight in amusement as he eagerly pranced over to the clothing racks. Not seconds after Duo's hands touched the clothes did various fabrics fly over and landed not on Harry, but Quatre's person. It was with a resigned air that the young Winner pulled off the articles of clothing and draped them neatly over his arm. Harry was mildly astonished to find that even after a pair of jeans landed on the blonds' head, not a single inch of hair was out of place after they were pulled off.

"C'mon!"

Harry yelped then Duo's hand grasped his arm, pulling him through the small shop and into a one-person dressing room. He was absolutely mortified to find that the braided teen had followed him in, but relented at a stern glare. All too soon, he found himself out of the loose sweats and into a pair of snug jeans. With it was a warm emerald sweater thrown over a black tank top. A pair of blain black sneakers completed the ensample and Harry found himself shoved out of the dressing room and thrust under Quatre's now calculating eye.

"Well?" Duo demanded after a few minutes of fidgeting silence. "First outfit a success? C'mon, kitty-cat! Yay or Nay?"

The blue-eyed teen shot them both a grin. "Very nice job, Duo. It is perfect. This suits our Kitten just fine."

Duo beamed as if he was just told that Santa Clause was indeed real and that he was giving interviews at the North Pole on Saturday. "Excellent! More of these-in various colors, of course. And then…" He paused dramatically, "summer clothes!"

Harry shot his Master a pleading look as he was dragged back into the room, but it was answered only by a small smirk and an indulgent look. Sighing, he turned to Duo as the door was closed, and any chance of escaping the overenthusiastic shopper disappeared.

"Now…hmm. A nice red, maybe?" Duo's voice sounded suspiciously like the bells of death, leading innocent people into Hade's domain.

Four hours later, twelve shopping bags, and three angry victims of the God of Death's run-on mouth later, Harry was herded into a smaller restaurant. It was a tiny little thing, with only five or six tables and no current patrons, but Harry could smell something warm and delicious cooking in the back.

"Ah, young master Quatre. It has been a long time since you entered my humble shop. Looking for something to eat?"

"Yes indeed, Aarhod. I have much missed your wonderful cooking. Just the usual sandwiches? No sugar for Duo, I think." Quatre replied warmly, ignoring his friends' outraged 'hey!'

The robust cook gave a hearty chuckle and waved a pan-sized hand to sweep across the air in front of him. "Please, sit down. Your food will be ready shortly."

Giving a nod of thanks, Quatre gently grasped Harry's arm and steered him to a small table in the corner. Soft classical music started up in the background as a small tinkering sound was heard in the kitchen.

"Aarhod was always good with keeping his mouth shut when it came to the Gundam Pilots." Quatre explained softly, his voice soft and reassuring as Harry tentatively rested his head on the blonds' shoulder. He was too tired to care for the repercussion's that would no doubt happen later on. He knew that shopping with Duo would take a lot of energy, but even he wasn't prepared to be this tired! A sharp poke in his arm made him crack open an eye to glare weakly at the braided menace. Until, that is, he realized what he was doing and quickly blanched. _Never _give any hint of disapproval of your Master! He scolded himself. Hanner had always repeated that line, but it was Uncle Vernon who had come up with it.

"Hey now! None of that, Kitten. You're here, and we are having fun!" Duo half-chided, half-whined. "You _are _having fun, right?"

Gracious! How did anyone have such energy? Just _looking _at the energetic pilot made his head hurt! "Of course, Master Duo." He reassured his words sleepy and slightly slurred. "Very fun."

A yawn cut him off, and Quatre's shoulder shook as the blond laughed quietly, looping an arm around his shoulders. "Don't worry, Kitten. The food will get here soon."

Right on cue, Aarhod entered the room with a large platter of sandwich halves balanced in one hand and a platter of drinks and chips in the other. "There you go, young Masters." The voluptuous man boomed, either not noticing or pretending not to notice Harry's slight flinch at the volume. Harry couldn't help but suspect the latter when Aarhod's voice went from a borderline shout to simply talking with unrestrained strength. "Homemade chips, fresh out of the oven. Ever had 'em?"

Harry recoiled slightly when the blue eyes fastened upon him, but bravely answered; "No, sir."

Those eyes lit up in pleasure, and the cook's demeanor changed to one of an excited child who could barely restrain himself from bouncing up and down. Actually, not what he thought of it, the man was behaving almost eerily like the Master of Death himself. "Go on, then. Try one!" The man demanded, eyes fixed on Harry.

Only when Quatre gave him an encouraging nod did harry stretch out a hand and grasp at a warm, crispy chip and take a bite. Immediately his eyes lit up as the salty, potato-ey goodness flooded his senses and it was with genuine delight that he exclaimed; "It's delicious, Mister Aarhod!"

The man gave a pleased chuckle and patted his head lightly. For some odd reason that Harry was nonetheless grateful for, the large cook made sure to keep his movements slow and intentions clear, as one might do for a startled animal. "Thank you, little master."

Harry was startled. For almost all of his life, he was the one calling _others_ 'master. Never had anyone called _him _that! Then again, almost all of the people besides the four Gundam Pilots and Lady Une had called Quatre and Duo 'master', so perhaps it was a courtesy thing? Still…

A sandwich half was waved under his nose. "Earth to Harry…come in, Harry!"

Harry blinked at Duo's playful tone, then smiled slightly. "Did you need something, Master Duo?"

The violet eyes rolled. "Yeah, actually. I need you to eat something. You need to keep up your strength, ya know. We still need to get to a couple more stores after this!"

Harry blinked, glancing from the multiple bags piled up on various chairs to the Shinigami and back. "Ah, are you sure, Master Duo?" He queried hesitantly, "I thought we got everything." Not that he asked for it, of course. He didn't, and would have protested if not for the firm, borderline sharp reprimand at the beginning of the shopping spree.

"Well, clothes yes-unless you want more?"

"No!" Harry said hurriedly before composing himself. "Ah, no Master. Please."

The braided teen grinned wickedly. "Thought so. Don't worry-we only have a bookstore and a little surprise from dear Trowa."

Harry glanced up at him worriedly. "Master Trowa?

Duo ruffled his hair, much to his displeasure and Quatre's amusement. "Don't worry, Kitten. Tro-Tro wanted to get you h-it. You wouldn't want to hurt his feelings, right?"

Harry shook his head violently. "No! Never, Master Duo."

The braided teen grinned victoriously. "There, see? That wasn't so bad. Ready to go?"

Harry blinked and looked down at the empty platter. He hadn't realized that he had been eating, but apparently he had because there were no sandwiches left and he had a smatter of mayonnaise on his finger. Mortified at his own lack of attention and his messiness, he blushed. The others, however, simply grinned and offered him a napkin, which he took gratefully.

"C'mon, Harr-Harr! Hee-chan and Wuffers said you need at least five books- you can read, right?"

Harry nodded, a flicker of pride raced through him. "Taught myself how."

He didn't miss the glances exchanged between the two as they continued down the road, but he chose to ignore it, as it wasn't his place to bring it up, and even if it was he wouldn't. Their faces had been concerned and san, with a mixture of pride for his intelligence and ability to teach himself what he needed to survive. It was almost as if they actually cared about him. It would be nice to be loved.

"Well." Duo said in attempt to break the somewhat uncomfortable silence, "We're here."

Harry shivered as the cool air of the store washed over him as he stepped out of the afternoon heat. Inside the store was a small space where the cashier stood, but the rest of the store was taken up by towers of bookshelves all standing in neat rows with small signs hanging above distinguishing the different genres. Harry supposed that many in this rather small village must be avid readers, considering the fact that the store was one of the largest shops that he had seen. A hand landed on his shoulder, prompting him to look into Quatre's blue eyes.

"Pick out as many as you want, little one. I will collect the one's you need for schooling."

Harry tried his hardest to not gap at the teen, but it was hard not to. With a gentle and somewhat amused smile, the blond wandered off, leaving him to the mercies of one Duo Maxwell. "Schooling, Master Duo?" He peered cautiously up at the seemingly insane Pilot.

Duo laughed, slinging an arm around his shoulders. "Yup. Us five will home school you when he have time. Otherwise it will be up to Rashid or one of his brothers. Come on-Fantasy is this way!"

An indulgent smile stole across Harry's lips as he allowed the energetic teen to pull him into the Fantasy section. Immediately a series of books caught his eye, but he quickly averted them in effort to try and not draw attention. Not fast enough for the keen eyes of 02, apparently.

"Oooh! Lord of the Rings, eh? Little Kitten has good taste." Nimble hands snatched the Hobbit along with the other three books of Tolkien from their shelves, settling them into the crook of one strong arm. "Great! One down, four to go."

Harry stared at wide-eyed at the braided Pilot before quickly objecting. "Master Duo, that's four books, not one."

Duo laughed, dragging him over to a different shelf. "Naw. What would be the point of getting one book in a series and not being able to get the rest? No, this counts as one. Oh! How 'bout these ones?"

With a resigned sigh, Harry peered at the cover but then had to blink. In his hands were two thick tomes, one gold and the other silver. "The entire works of Shakespeare?" He read the first one aloud.

"Uh-huh." Duo replied, though it wasn't entirely necessary seeing as Harry had just proved that he could indeed read. "And the entire works of Edgar Allen Poe. Gotta love 'em. We would have gotten them before, but we really didn't have that much downtime during the war." The braided teen shook his head before smiling brightly. "But we do now! Kitty-Cat even promised that we could use his pool."

Harry blushed bright red at that and cast his gaze downward. Hmm, Duo's boots seemed to somehow have stayed clean and clear of all the dirt and dust. They were the same dull but untarnished black they were before they had left.

"Kitten? You okay?" The chipper voice turned uncommonly serious and a cool, calloused hand slipped under his chin, drawing his gaze up. "What's wrong? Is it something I said?"

"No!" Harry instantly denied, then bit his lip, mumbling something even he couldn't understand.

"What was that?"

"I-I can't swim, Master Duo." He mumbled quietly, then prepared for the blow. Admitting weakness was unacceptable. It wasn't allowed. It showed that he was indeed human, and Hanner didn't like the feelings-however faint they were- that it stirred up. So it was to his great astonishment that Duo laughed, dashing in for a quick, startling hug.

"That's it? Psch. It is fine, Green Eyes. I can teach you. It's fun! Maybe even Heero will help?" the violet-eyed Pilot mused, his gaze unfocused as Duo saw things that Harry was almost one-hundred percent sure had nothing to do with teaching him how to swim. He shuddered. That mornings…conversation, still hadn't been forgotten. Perhaps the others would protect his rather innocent ears from the ramblings of a horny Duo? A grimace made its way across his face. Imagining his Master doing _anything _even remotely sexual with the 'perfect soldier' was just wrong in soooo many ways.

"Uh, Master Duo?" He said, hoping to placate the Pilot enough so that his current line of thinking would be broken. "Dou you like…" His eyes scanned the shelves frantically for a book to even remotely catch his eye, "Terry Goodkind?"

Though Harry had no doubt that the God of Death knew what he was trying to do, Duo nonetheless stepped over to peer at the book, a jaunty grin lingering upon his lips. After a while, Duo shrugged. "Looks good. D'ya want it?"

Harry looked from the nine books resting in Duo's arm to the thirteen book series that he had picked out and back. "Ah, no thank you, Master."

Duo shot him a despairing look. "Call me Duo, Har-Har. And I know you want it. How 'bout we make a deal, okay?" Duo said quickly after seeing that Harry was about to deny it. "You let me get those for you, and we can be done here, okay? After that we only have one other stop, kay?"

Harry pondered the proposal for a moment, then nodded. He was dead tired, and even if he put up with 02's seemingly endless energy, Harry knew that Quatre probably was as well. "All right."

Duo positively beamed as he somehow balanced all of the books in his arms, ignoring Harry's pleas to allow him to help as they made their way towards the cash register and to where Quatre was waiting with his own, smaller pile already in a neat stack on the counter.

"Done already, Duo?" Quatre called, blue eyes alight in amusement as he watched the teetering stack before helping his friend put down the novels, raising one fair eyebrow as he surveyed the titles.

"Yeah. Kitten and I made a deal to hurry it up, so all we have to do is collect Tro-Tro's gift before we head home." Duo chirped as he placed the last of the books on the counter.

Quatre gave a delicate snort. "A deal, you say? More like a choice between something bad and something even worse."

Duo shot his friend an offended look. "Me? C'mon, Q-ball, would I really do that?"

The blond gave a short chuckle. "Yes. Yes you would. Tell me, what would Relena say?"

Storm clouds passed through those violet eyes at the mention of a strangely familiar name. "Master Quatre?" He whispered, tugging on the Winner's sleeve, "Who is Relena?"

"Relena Darlien, or Peacecraft." Was the quick response.

"Oh!" Harry's eyes brightened in recognition, "She's-"

"A stalker bitch who chases after other people's men." Duo interrupted sourly, one hand gripping his braid in frustration.

A death glare was shot in Quatre's direction when the blond laughed lightly, but Quatre merely shrugged it off with a nonchalant grace. "Relena is a very nice girl, even if her brother's presence is more…preferable."

Duo snorted indignantly. "That's a very big understatement, even for you, Kitty-Cat."

As the two continued to banter back and forth, both the cashier's and Harry's grins seemed to get wider and wider. "Have a good day, sirs." Said the cashier, handing three rather weighty bags to both Duo and Quatre and smirking in faint amusement at Harry's small, displeased scowl at being so obviously by-passed.

The bickering seemed to settle down some as they exited the shop, pausing to drop off the books in the car they had driven before continuing on to a rather noisy store a little ways down. A moment later Harry found out why it was so loud when the door was opened and a variety of squawks, squeaks, hisses and howls all clashed around his ears. Disbelief flooded through him. Trowa wanted to get him a pet? His jade eyes widened involuntarily in wonder.

Someone nudged him gently, "Go one, Har. Trowa said you might want a kitten, but if anything else catches your eye let us know."

Harry had to admit he was rather overwhelmed by the kindness of his Masters, but a moment later the feeling was washed away when something small and furry collided with his chest, throwing him off balance and sending him tumbling into Quatre's arms, who of course caught him. Shock flowed through him, but at Duo's quiet 'aww' he looked down at the thing that clung so precariously to his chest. Grayish blue eyes so wide they looked almost like a bush baby's peered back up at him with suspicious innocence. Huge, bat like ears twitched alertly, as did the pink nose perched on its face. Silky black fur clung to its sleek body, muscles already rippling under its skin. A black tail swished playfully and Harry could see that the further down said tail went, the bushier it got.

A thin, wiry looking fellow dashed around the corner to come to a panting halt in front of them. The man, after recognizing Quatre, quickly dabbed at the sweat beaded across his forehead. "Pardon me, sirs!" he said in a voice so deep it was almost comical for one his size, "But this little rascal seems to escape his cage. I don't know how we are going to sell the little trouble maker."

"I think," Duo said with a cheerful grin, "That you won't have to worry about that anymore."

Harry glanced up from where he was cuddling the little kitten to find them all smiling at him from where he was still embraced in Quatre's arms. "Ah, Master?" He murmured, shifting closer to the comforting warmth of the blond. "M-may I?"

"Is this what you want, Little One? We could take a closer look at some of the others, if you want."

Harry opened his mouth to reply, but at that moment the kitten scampered up his chest to rest in the crook of his neck, tiny body fitting perfectly and luminous eyes peering out from the silky tresses of Harry's hair. He didn't even pause when he said; "yes, please."

With a mischievous nod, Duo danced over to the isle, coming back not two minutes later with a large bag of kitten food and a couple toys.

"Does he have a name?" Quatre asked as the wiry man quickly led them to a register and let them pay for their purchases.

The man shook his head. "Not really. He's called Flit by the workers here, but has no official name."

Harry grinned, eyeing his new pet fondly as satisfaction filled him. It was almost as if he had a real family…before he could chase away his treacherous thoughts, his concentration was scattered when Duo snaked an arm around his shoulders, stealing him from Quatre to let the Sandrock Pilot carry the necessities for the newly-named Flit. The car ride was spent in sleepy silence for Quatre and Harry as they listened with faint amusement to Duo's deliberate off-key singing.

"Come on, Green Eyes! Let's go show off your new pet! Trow-Trow will be interested in the little bugger, too." Duo crowed as they pulled into Quatre's driveway and up to the Manor, leaving the Key's for a man who's clothes looked quite similar to what the big man-Rashid , was wearing. Harry found the others all gathered in the kitchen, Trowa moving with an untold grace as he prepared what looked to be a simple but tasty chicken stir fry. Heero was clacking away at his laptop as expected, and Wufei was giving of an impression of a studious collage professor as he balanced his chair on its back legs, a steaming mug of something Harry didn't recognize in one hand and a book in the other. They all looked up when the three of them entered, but it was Wufei who first smiled.

"Good evening, Harry." He greeted, rising elegantly to help the uni-banged Pilot as he turned off the stove, the small flames going out with a poof.

"We survived, as unlikely that may seem." Quatre said wryly as he greeted his boyfriend with a warm hug and a peck on the lips. Duo's greeting, however, was much more intense. Like a predator stalked his prey, so did Duo as he stalked up to his lover, wrapping both arms and legs around him as he pounced. Lips met in a hot, smoldering kiss. Even as one calloused hand began to travel up Duo's taunt stomach, several throat clearings drew their attention back to Harry as he stood in wide-eyed shock.

"Ah," Do spoke, looking much more disheveled then he did when he walked in. The braided teen took a moment to collect himself, but by then a rather smug looking Heero spoke.

"I truly hope we did not make you uncomfortable."

"Er-" Harry coughed, feeling rather awkward as he raised one hand to pet Flit simply to give his hands something to do. "N-no, it's fine, Master Heero. And th-thank you-and you, Master Wufei-for the books."

"You are welcome, Little One." Wufei said quite calmly, looking as though such acts between 01 and 02 were quite the norm. Which, Harry supposed, probably was. Being the only single person of the other Pilots, Wufei was almost required to get used to such acts.

"Hn." Heero grunted in agreement, looping his arms around his lover's trim waist and burying his nose in the chocolate hair.

"Meow."

The soft mewl of Flit drew the attention back to Harry once more. Trowa's lips twitched when a small, furry face peeked out from under Harry's hair, followed by two large ears. "And who is this?"

"Flit." Harry replied in a quiet murmur, his eyes trained on the jade-eyed teen as he carefully stretched out a hand to run it lightly along Flit's sleek body before withdrawing in satisfaction.

"Well, he is in good health. You chose a fine kitten, Harry. Even if the name of his kind escapes me at the moment."

Harry had to stop himself from beaming in pride at the auburn-haired teen's praise and almost mimicked his cat when Flit began to purr. They all settled down at the table together and dug in, each giving either noises (Duo and Harry) or words (Quatre, Wufei and Heero) of pleasure and satisfaction in compliment of Trowa and his delicious meal, to which he gave them a rare smile, though they seemed to be more and more frequent now, and replied with a quiet word of thanks. As Harry surveyed the five Pilots, he could truly say that life was good.

**A/N; Well that is the third chapter, sorry hope you all enjoyed! I will not answer any of the questions that were asked, but will simply say that this is not a fic for Dumbledore, Weasley (or most of them) and Marauder fans. I will try to update in every three or four days or so, though I can say for sure that next week Friday (that's good Friday) I will not be writing at all, so whatever chapter I will be on then might be a little late. (can you believe that this chapter took 3 hrs straight to write? Insane! Then again, I am a really bad at typing). Anyhoo, I love all you guys! Thanks so much for the reviews. Aaaand as always; Criticism will be smiled at, Flames will be scoffed at, and this website will be snarled at. **

**Reviews are nice.**

**Ciao! **

**Hades27**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**By Hades27**

**Rated; M**

**Disclaimer: I am not brilliant. I don't own anything, so hush!**

**Warnings; the usual. I have them written on Chapter 1. If there is anything specific and of significant impact, I'll say. Otherwise, look on first chapter.**

"Who is he?"

Lady Une glanced up at the quiet query of one of her best Agent. It was with some ruefulness that she answered, "I should have known you would catch on, Heero Yuy. You always do."

The Prussian-eyed Agent gazed at her contemplatively. "No. Not always."

She also should have known that her supposedly harmless remark would remind Yuy of that little girl and her dog. Instead of facing the problem like she should have, she chose to do something that was quite unlike herself. She ran away. Yuy needed to forgive himself, and wouldn't listen to anyone else on the matter. So she steered the conversation to a marginally safer topic-if only marginally. "He is someone important to many…people. Allowing the boy to get hurt would be very unwise."

Amusement battled with irritation as Yuy deliberated over her non-answer. Irritation won out. "People, Lady Une? It is quite unlike you to be so broad about a subject as serious as this."

Lady Une gave a rather unladylike snort. "Careful, Yuy. It is beginning to sound like you're whining."

The offended expression that followed her remark was rather amusing. "I'll leave the whining to Relena." Yuy replied, his tone rather short, "did you gather the information on Dudley Dursley?"

Une nodded as she handed him a crème colored file, its contents forcing it to puff out thickly as it was transferred into Heero's hands. He opened it wordlessly, sharp eyes darting across the page as he quickly scanned the information written. In the end disbelief and skepticism were painted clearly across his face.

"Dudley Dursley." He read aloud, tension clear in his voice and eyes tightened considerably. "Son of Petunia Lilleth Dursley nee Evbans and slave-owner Vernon Chance Dursley. Dudley is fourteen years old-only a year older than Harry, and already has charges pressed against him for committing a _felon _when he stole some rather expensive electronics. We are expecting _that _to save Harry?"

"Calm down, Yuy." Une snapped, shuffling some papers on her desk in irritation, "would you rather have the boy a slave forever?"

Heero didn't hesitate when he shook his head. "Harry will be free, Lady Une." Failure was not an option.

Fair lips curled into a pleased smile. "Very good. Is that all?"

Heero hesitated, then shook his head. "No, actually. Quatre had brought up a point in which I believe is a valid concern."

"And that is?"

"When we do manage to get the blasted collar off-and we _will _get it off-if Harry is still underage his Aunt would have the capability to take him away from us. Right now the only thing that is stopping her is the fact that her husband had sold Harry to Hanner before he died, and then Hanner to Quatre. He is literally our possession at the moment."

Une nodded her understanding. "And what do you plan on doing about this little…hiccup?"

Heero never had the urge to fidget before, but under Une's piercing brown eyes he felt the need to do so then. "Adopt him." He stated bluntly. "Harry has already disinherited himself from the Potter family, so it shouldn't take that long to get the papers. We are simply wondering about whose name he should take."

Lady Une gave yet another snort. "I am sure you have already figured out who would be best for the job, Yuy. One person for each couple in case you and Maxwell or Winner and Barton are incapacitated. Winner is already his 'Master', and even if you get the boy's collar off Winner will most likely still have some control over Harry." She shrugged indifferently "So have Barton adopt him, along with yourself, I suppose. Maxwell is acceptable, but Child Services might think him as too childish."

"Hn. Duo might be hurt."

Une waved a negligent hand. "So change the boy's middle name to something significant to 02. It would probably be for the best anyways. The farther away from Harrison James Potter Harry grows, the less chance whoever is after him will have in locating the boy."

Heero nodded. "Very well. He will be Harris Solomon Barton-Yuy. Can you get us the papers?"

She shot him an insulted look. "Of course." Now I do have work to do."

Heero couldn't help the fond smile that crept over his lips at her impetuous dismissal, but it lingered there for only a moment before darting away as he gave her a short bow. "Hai. Have a good day, Lady Une."

She didn't give any reply save for the impatient flick of her finger. Heero allowed one last smile before putting up his mask and stalking out of the room, lips twitching involuntarily as amusement flooded though him when Agents twice his age sped up to get out of his path. Truly they should be grateful that his braided menace of a boyfriend wasn't there. He would have enjoyed tormenting his fellow officers.

XXX

Harry could honestly say that he believed his Masters were sent by God. The five Pilots were extraordinary, they truly were. Not only did they lavish (positive) attention on him, but they seemed-for a reason that was unfathomable to him-to genuinely care for him. Currently they were once more seated in Quatre's living room, each conversing quietly with one another as they watched Harry and Duo play with Flit as they all waited for the elusive Heero to arrive. The young kitten was bounding after a small cat-nipped ball that Harry and Duo were passing between themselves. The kitten swatted at the red toy, fluffy tail flickering madly two and fro as he crouched close to the floor, grey-blue eyes following it with almost amusing intensity. It was early in the morning, but all present were quite used to getting up whenever needed. Time was of no concern.

"Duo?"

"Hee-chan!" Duo exclaimed, abandoning the floor in favor of latching onto his boyfriend's waist. Though Heero let out a quiet grunt, he nonetheless wrapped welcoming arms around the braided teen, burying his nose in the crook of the creamy neck.

"Were you successful?"

"Hai." Was Heeero's short reply.

The five Pilots seemed to carry out the rest of their conversation by eye contact and small, almost nonexistent hand gestures, for in the next few minutes they were entirely silent, leaving Harry to peer up at them in curiosity from his position on the floor. Eventually the five of them nodded, and two left the room, leaving Harry alone with the other three.

"Kitten?"

Harry looked up at Duo's soft voice, wordlessly watching as the braided pilot crouched down to place himself at eyelevel. "Yes, Master?" he answered softly.

The amethyst eyes glittered with excitement. "  
>Hee-chan, Tro-Tro and I are going out, okay? We might be gone a long while, but Wuffers and Kitty-Cat will look after you, kay?"<p>

Harry nodded. "Yes, Master Duo."

"Just Duo, Har."

Harry pretended not to hear as he turned his attention back onto the feisty kitten that was batting at the ends of his hair. A sigh sounded from above him, but nothing else was said. Not five minutes later the three exchanged hugs and kisses with their friends or lovers and headed out the door. Harry couldn't help but blink.

"That was fast."

Quatre chuckled and ruffled his hair to his greatest disgust. "Let's get this rat's nest straightened out, shall we?"

It took all his willpower not to pout at the teen, but when Quatre sat down on the couch Harry obediently padded over and sat at the blonds' feet, allowing his Master to gently work the knots and tangles out of his hair with a practiced ease.

"With Duo as a brother, all of us have a lot of experience with long hair. He doesn't turst anyone else but us with it, so it is us who are helping wash, brush and braid it, whether Duo needs the help or not. That troublesome pilot can't seem to get it himself, or is determined not to unless it is absolutely necessary. Which is not as often as it used to be. It's his way of proving to himself that he is loved, I think."

Harry hmmed, but said nothing else as he leaned into the gentle tough, humming softly in contentment. A sharp jab on his finger compelled him to open eyes he didn't even know he had closed. "Ouch!"

Instantly the brush stopped its repetitive strokes, one hand resting lightly on his shoulder. "Harry? What is wrong? Did I hurt you?" The blond queried softly.

"N-no, Master. Flit bit me." Harry replied, staring accusingly at his kitten with watery eyes. A strong, calloused hand caught his before he could stick the offended appendage into his mouth. Wufei's kind eyes gazed at him serenely.

"He simply wanted to get your attention, Little One. Flit meant no harm."

Harry sniffled a bit, but nodded, offering his finger to the Chinese teen to put a band-aid on and couldn't help but giggle when Quatre kissed it better.

"Little One?"

He glanced up at the inquiry, blinking when his eyes fell upon a small coffee table that rested at just the right height for him to sit or kneel comfortably at. "Yes, Master Wufei?"

The onyx-eyed teen sank down to the floor with an almost feline grace, surveying him impassively before opening his mouth. "I know you are already thirteen, but since you did not have an opportunity to obtain a proper education, I would like to at least glance over the basics and correct or improve things if necessary." At his hesitant but understanding nod, Wufei continued. "After which I will place you at a certain grade level and we can continue from there, okay?" Another, more confident nod. "Good. If you would please sit or kneel at the table, we can start with your English skills."

With a sigh, Harry did as asked, preparing for the long day ahead of him, the only consolation being Quatre's nimble fingers gently coaxing his hair into a braid. The next few hours passed by in a haze of numbers, letters, shapes and words. Few comments were passed between the three other than the occasional question and answer. By the time lunch came around Harry was completely exhausted. After a simple lunch of tuna sandwiches and crispy chips, Wufei recruited Harry into helping him wash the dishes while Quatre was called off to business with the W.E.I. Suddenly shy, Harry shambled quietly over to stand at the serious teen's side, timidly taking the offered cloth to dry the dishes with. No one had ever helped him work before. It was…nice? Well, sort of. Work couldn't be _nice_. Not exactly. Peaceful and semi-relaxing, yes. But _nice? _ No. Nor fun. No matter, here he was, drying dishes and happy to do it. Maybe it was because he wasn't being forced to do it on pain-of-death. Literally. All too soon the last plate was being handed to him, cleaned to a glitter with almost scary precision.

"Do you know how to play chess?"

Harry glanced up in startlement at Wufei's sudden question. "N-no, Master Wufei."

The Chinese teen looked thoughtful for a moment, lips pursed into a thin line. "I do not like you calling me 'master', Little One." Said he, raising a finger to silence Harry when he went to open his mouth. "Instead, call me Nii-san. (1) Please."

"But what does it mean, Ma-Nii-san?" Harry stuttered out as they seated themselves at the kitchen table in front of the chess set. "If I may asked." He added hurriedly.

The fair lips twitched, though if it was in amusement or annoyance Harry couldn't tell. "It is something of a slave-master, Harry. But nii-san will not be recognizable in any English-speaking countries."

Boldly Harry nodded. "As you wish…nii-san." Calling Wufei that wouldn't be a problem. It was the same thing as 'master', yet some niggling at the back of his mind warned him that all wasn't as it seemed. Before he could ponder it, the Chinese teen motioned to the board.

"Duo insisted we buy it. Do you mind what color you are?" Harry shook his head. " Good. You can be white. Now, the object of the game…"

As Harry listened to Wufei he grew more and more certain that, had Wufei not chosen the path of first a Gundam Pilot, and then a Preventer, he would have made an excellent teacher. His words were kind and comprehensible, his voice was soft and smooth, and the small motions he used to explain things were helpful, but tot to the point of being a distraction. Slowly, Wufei coached him through the game, giving pointers and patiently answering questions, occasionally dropping small hints of how to beat the others in as well. Mainly on Duo Maxwell. The hours slipped away faster than he expected, with Flit eventually stalking in, tail flickering imperiously as he launched himself up and into Harry's lap, settling down on his perch with a smug air about him. Soon, Quatre entered the room, carrying a lumpy brown bag in his hands and wearing a smile as his eyes fell upon the two.

"Good evening, you two." He chirped, gliding purposefully into the kitchen with an unnerving glint in his eyes.

"Good evening, Master Quatre." He murmured, eyeing the bag in distrust even as Wufei captured his king for the who-knows-how-many-time. The blond saw the look and laughed, pulling out various shampoos and conditioners.

"Rashid stopped by the store today. We needed more hair things and didn't want to go out again. I would think you would want to take a nice warm bath, yes?"

Harry's eyes widened involuntarily and he couldn't help but stare at the blond n wonder. With warm water? He had never had a bath with warm water before, and the last bath he had taken had been out of a wooden tub. He didn't even know if he would be able to operate a real bath. Only when two pairs of eyes swung towards him in horror did he realize that he had spoken out loud. Blushing, his gaze darted towards the ground in embarrassment at his lack of experience and knowledge.

"Well" Quatre said, giving a smile that did not quite reach his eyes, "We'll just have to fix that, wont we? Bedtime is after the bath, though."

Harry peered up at them in uncertainty, smoothing down Flit's ruffled fur. "Um, when will this bath occur, Master Quatre?"

The blond grinned and replied cheerfully, "Now, if you wish."

Tentatively he turned to Wufei. "Nii-san?" He queried quietly, "W-would you mind?"

He missed it when Quatre's eyes sharpened in startlement, but he did notice the small smile that the Chinese teen sent both him and Quatre. "Not at all, little one. Go on and take your bath. I will make sure your troublesome little kitten won't get into any trouble."

Smiling brightly, Harry followed Quatre through the maze of a house, not even wondering if he was ever going to be able to navigate the manor without getting lost. He wouldn't. He was led back to his own bedroom and into the bathroom that was conjoined with it. He hadn't truly looked into the bathroom, and was pleasantly surprised at what he saw. The tiled floor was white, and a quaint sink and toilet was in the right corner, along with a small vanity and mirror across from it. A massive, six person bath and shower dominated the majority of the room, with blue curtains that were to encircle the bath if it was closed hung smushed elegantly-could a curtain even be _elegant? _Well, this one certainly could-on one side, suspended on a silver rod that hovered overhead.

Quatre smiled at the awe-struck expression that was no doubt plastered upon his face. "We are rather close, the others and I, and have no qualms about lack of privacy. All of the bathrooms are like this. Duo in particular always insists on taking a bath together whenever there is time." (2)

When the bathroom doors closed, he was startled to find that the blond was still in the room and had already taken off his jacket while Harry was preoccupied with gawping at the décor of the room itself. Alarm shot through him and he stumbled back, clutching his arms around his stomach as he stared wide-eyed at his Master.

"Easy, Little One. I am just going to help you with your hair and your back, okay? You will have some troubles for the first few times until you get the hang of things. Calm down, Green Eyes. You know I would never hurt you, all right?" Quatre soothed, clutching his chest for some odd reason.

Peering closer, Harry could see that the tub was already filled with steaming water. Cautiously, he nodded, waiting until Quatre turned around before quickly shucking off his clothes and leaping into the water. He gasped with delight when the blonds' words proved to be true when warm water closed around his shoulders, giving Harry a mild shock at how truly deep the tub actually was.

"Master Quatre? I'm in." He whispered, his voice so quiet he didn't think that the blond had heard him at first until the tell-tale rippling of the water informed him that Quatre had entered the tub. He jumped when a warm hand landed on his back, but relaxed when it did nothing but rest there. A click and squelching noise (minds out of the gutter, people) sounded behind him before the hand left his back, instead choosing to help lather in the lavender-scented shampoo into his long hair. The cool concoction and the gentle hands felt wonderful against his dirt-irritated scalp and Harry couldn't hold back the moan that escaped his lips as he lent into the blond. His mind quickly caught up with his actions and just where he was, prompting a blush as he straightened with a quick jerk. A low chuckle, amused but not mockingly so, sounded behind him, yet Quatre said nothing otherwise. The soapy shampoo was quickly rinsed out only to be replaced by the lightly purple conditioner. The young Winner quickly twisted his raven hair and set it atop his head in a thick coil.

"It needs to sit for a while." His Master informed him softly, picking up a soft washcloth and soaping it up before passing another one to Harry. "Go on and wash yourself. Don't worry about your back-I can get that." He smiled softly, and Harry twisted around to peer into the gentle blue eyes. "And you don't have to worry about dirtying the water; it won't. Harmless chemicals ensure that."

Harry nodded his understanding and accompanied it with a short "yes, Master" before taking the cloth and scrubbing himself down. It felt heavenly! Year's worth of dirt, dust, blood and sweat were all washed away. Sure, he had had sponge baths and the occasional dump in a freezing cold tub, but like he said; those were few, and didn't really _clean_. The still-tender areas were washed with ginger care, but the un-hurting parts were callously scrubbed at with the cloth until the disgusting dirt was completely gone, revealing pink and pale skin. In truth, he was quite surprised at the color of his skin. Was he really that pale? He had always remembered his skin being a pale brown, almost rustic tone. Truly he hadn't known just how much gunk he had collected over the years. Studying one pale hand, Harry decided that while he enjoyed being clean enough to see the natural tone of his skin, he had rather liked the brownish color. It made him look healthier and made his eyes pop out. Perhaps, just perhaps his Masters would allow him to be outside enough to get a natural tan. Quatre was gentle on his back, just as he had promised, but the blond couldn't help the low exclamation that escaped his lips when the first patch of white skin was revealed before his eyes.

"Master Quatre?" Harry stuttered, green eyes wide as he looked at his Master. "Is there something wrong?"

It was with a visible effort that Quatre pulled himself together and blanched his expression. "No, Little One. Simply remembering that we should find some activities for you to do; both inside and out. Not to mention hunt down some sunscreen." The young Winner replied easily with a small, if somewhat forced smile upon his lips.

Though it was rather obvious that Quatre was lying-or at least not telling the whole truth, Harry ignored the burning curiosity that was eating away at him. Curiosity _always_ spelled trouble. He allowed a pleased smile to form. "I'm allowed outside, Master Quatre?" He inquired, peering up at the blond happily.

Quatre gave a slight sigh before taking Harry's hand into his gentle grasp, holding the limb to his face in a small hug. "Of course, Kitten. You are allowed to do many things here.

Harry nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, yes! You are the best Master, Master Quatre."

Instead of being pleased like Harry expected, Quatre's blue eyes fell, shoulders slumping in despair.

"Master Quatre? What did I say, Master?" Harry cried in alarm at the devastated look on his Master's face. His hand fell out of Quatre's limp grasp and into the warm water.

"I didn't mean to imply that I am boasting about the things I give you, Harry. I am quite ashamed that I won a slave. No human should be collared like some common beast."

Harry felt as though he had been stabbed in the heart with a very blunt knife, his breath shortening in a pain worse than anything he had ever felt. If that wasn't bad enough, it seemed as though the blond had been the one wielding the weapon. The saying 'sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never harm me' popped into his mind, and he had a rather abrupt urge to giggle madly. Truly, the one who had first come up with that phrase must have either had the largest ego in the world or was off his rocker. Words could be tone of the most effective weapon that anyone could ever wield. Quatre and Vernon had proved that. The urge to laugh vanished with a puff at that thought, replaced by the almost overwhelming need to cry.

"I-I see." He choked out, curling his legs up to his chest and wrapping ugly scarred and scabbed arms around the skinny white appendages.

Beautiful blond brows drew down as blue eyes refocused on him, shining with a rather uncharacteristic confusion. "Harry, you know I love you, right? I am simply saying that one as innocent as you shouldn't be collared."

Harry. Not Green Eyes or Little One or even Kitten. _Harry_. Suddenly, all of the Pilot's words of love and terms of endearment seemed empty and insincere. Quatre's especially. He was rejecting slaves…rejecting Harry. Harry knew that as much as he hated being enslaved, being at the mercies and sick fantasies of whatever Master he came across, a slave was not just _what _he was, but _who _he was. Broken. Beaten. Discarded on a whim.

Slave.

Even if the blasted collar was off his life would be meaningless. He wasn't educated or strong. He wouldn't be able to function in society without a Master. It was too late; all of his mannerisms and even his thought patterns were drilled into him too deep. To remove them from him now would mean to hill him. He was positive. Unless some miracle could happen, he was doomed either way. Too bad he didn't realize that the Pilots were full of miracles.

He drew his mind away from the debase thoughts enough to give an impassive shrug and reply of "Of course, Master."

Though the blond eyed him disbelievingly he said nothing, choosing instead to take the coil off Harry's head and wash out the conditioner, leaving Harry with a clean river of raven hair. Quickly the blond climbed out, drying himself and dressing in a pair of clean slacks and a soft shirt. The blond started to hold out a towel to wrap around him, but Harry quickly shook his head, startling Quatre with his refusal.

"You must be tired, Master." He said quietly, "I am quite able to dry and dress myself. Why don't you go relax somewhere? Nii-san could use some rest as well."

The blue-eyed teen blinked, but to Harry's utter relief he didn't do anything except sett the towel gently down and walk out of the bathroom, carrying both his and Harry's dirty clothes with him. After the blond left Harry couldn't help but give a soft sigh as he leaned back, one toe flipping the plug so that the water drained out of the tub. Slowly, as he watched the warm liquid go, so did his mask break with each inch lost, crumbling into microscopic pieces until the tears finally fell. Great terrible sobs ripped up his throat as he curled up on his side, sniffling and weeping like a small child. He hated it here. _Loathed _it. Despised it. It was worse than Hanner's place. And yet, he might die if he was forced to leave.

Warm arms curled around him, lifting him up and wrapping him in the large and fluffy towel. "Quatre said something was off with you." Wufei's voice rumbled lowly next to his ear. Harry couldn't help but snuggle closer to the comforting body.

"Master Quatre hates me!" He sniffled, rubbing his cheek along the muscled chest.

"No he doesn't." The Chinese teen stated confidently as his deft hands helped Harry into warm black sweats and a comfy t-shirt before sweeping him into strong arms and carrying him bridal style. "He does not like the fact that you are a slave, but he would do anything to see you free and back on your feet."

Harry wanted to tug on his hair in frustration but his arms were currently trapped under Wufei's unmoving arms. "But _why_, nii-san?" He asked, voice laced with confusion and anger at his inability to comprehend the mystery that was 04. Well, all of the pilots, really.

They entered Harry's modest blue room, and he was carefully deposited onto the sky blue coverlet. With a pang of hurt Harry realized that it was the exact shade and color of Quatre's eyes. In fact, there were various items in his room that represented the pilots. The coverlet for Quatre, the rich chocolate of the wood of the bed frame, dresser, bookshelf and desk reminded him of Duo's long braid. The elaborate Prussian blue dragon that was gazing at him with onyx eyes from its perch atop the bookshelf that resided by the door seemed to capture Wufei's stoic essence, its color the same shade of Heero's eyes. The stuffed lion seemed to be Trowa's gift, its eyes eerily like the Heavyarms Pilots' and his own scrutinized him with its glassy marble gaze. Gentle hands rubbing the towel through his hair in an attempt to dry it drew his attention back to the Shenlong Pilot.

"Because, Green Eyes," Wufei said in answer to his previous question, "I now without a doubt that each of us love you with all our hearts. You are quite possibly the best thing that has happened to us, and we wouldn't trade it for the world. Or in Trowa's case, getting Maxwell to shut up for once."

Harry let out a weary chuckle, eyes widening when nimble fingers danced along his sides, turning him into a squirming mass of giggling boy, sprawled out across the bed. An eternity later the fingers ceased their assault and allowed him to take in huge gulps of air. Onyx eyes hovered above him, gazing down in both smug approval and amusement.

"Perhaps you would like to say goodnight to Quatre before you go to bed." Wufei suggested.

With ill grace Harry took the offered hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, scampering out of his room as he tugged purposefully on Wufei's hand. "Where would he be, nii-san? He asked, then blushed faintly at his brusqueness. "Please forgive me, I did not mean to seem demanding. May I ask where Master Quatre is, nii-san?" He rephrased.

"Of course, Little One. Asking a question is no crime. Come; he will be in his office at this time of night."

Harry let Wufei take the lead, and soon they were standing in the open doorway of Quatre's office, the blond himself sitting at a desk with a stack of paper in front of him. Harry started to enter, but hesitated when he saw that the Chinese teen had not moved with him. Instead, Wufei was standing where he had been before, watching with impassive eyes.

"Nii-san?" He whispered, tugging anxiously on the muscled arm, seeing as Wufei was wearing a sleeveless shirt. "Aren't you coming?"

Wufei shook his head, taking a half step back, though he allowed his wrist to remain in captivity. "This is between you and Quatre, Green Eyes." He gave Harry a small nudge forward. "Go on. Quatre will forgive you."

Harry glanced from Wufei to the blond and back, knowing on his lower lip in nervousness until a calloused finger stopped him.

"Go on, Harry."

And with that, Harry pushed himself into the room, quietly creeping to Quatre's side. The blue-eyed teen looked up at his approach, concern flitting over his face when he saw Harry. He had planned on being calm and collected as he explained himself to Quatre and apologized, but all thought fled as he gazed into the blue eyes of the man who gave him a reason to live. Immediately his eyes grew watery and with a choked sob, Harry threw his arms around the blonds' neck and hugged him tight, reveling in the feeling of the strong arms that slipped around him, clutching him closer as a nose buried itself in his damp hair.

"I'm sorry, Master." He whispered.

The arms tightened. "Hush, Little One. Simply hush."

Safe in Quatre's arms, Harry gladly did just that.

**Means big brother. (I think)**

**This is a fic where the Pilots are very open about their sexuality and have no qualms about doing things such as taking a bath together. After the war they needed each other to help them and comfort them, so it is only natural that they grew closer.**

**A/N; This is the end of chapter 4, I hope you all enjoyed! I am terribly sorry for the wait, but I was sick and then had Good Friday and Easter to deal with. I have decided that I am not going to write/type/update on Saturdays or Sundays. Think of them as my days off. I will try to update soon, and am already working on the fifth chapter. Thanks so much for the reviews. As always; Criticism will be smiled at, Flames will be scoffed at, and this website will be snarled at. **

**Reviews are nice.**

**Ciao! **

**Hades27**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4**

**By Hades27**

**Rated; M**

**Disclaimer: I am not brilliant. I don't own anything, so hush!**

**Warnings; uh, (blushes) there's a little bit of sex noises, but no graphic scenes or anything. There's some language in here, too, but not too bad, I don't think. Other than that, nothing.**

"MAXWELL!"

The enraged shout of 05 informed Harry that the other pilots had arrived back home, most likely sometime last night, if Wufei's grumblings about the 'unimpressionable baka's who cannot perform the simplest of tasks such as putting their shoes out of the way of others' was anything to go by. Quickly, he tried to scramble out of the bed, excited to see the aforementioned 'braided baka'. Unfortunately his body didn't seem to agree with his minds eagerness to wake, and instead of rising in a reasonabley fast and efficient manor, chose to fall back down onto the nearest surface it could find. He couldn't help but moan pathetically as his body hit the hard, unforgiving floor with a thud.

"Okay there, Kitten?" the violet-eyed menace laughed, bouncing into the room with a cheeriness that should be banned in the morning.

Harry paused to study the braided teen. For some reason, Duo seemed more subdued than usual-a fact that was quite alarming for the usually energetic pilot. "Fine, Master Duo." He replied as he picked himself up off the floor. Though the braided pilot was obviously saddened by the pasty color of his skin, Duo didn't seem to be as shocked as Quatre had.

"Q-ball needs to go to the states for something or another." The braided teen announced rather abruptly as he bounced forward. "It's gonna take a while, so we're all going to live in a ranch he owns there. Rashid is sending one of his brothers-Jhoad, I think-to accompany us. Make sure we don't get into too much trouble." The violet-eyed teen winked conspiratorially.

Harry glanced at the self-proclaimed Shinigami in startlement. "Master Duo? May I ask why we are leaving here so soon?"

Something dark flashed through Duo's eyes, filling them with turmoil and the promise of much pain to come. But it was gone so fast that Harry didn't know if it was real or if he just imagined it. Still, it made him rather nervous, and all he could do was pray that such a look was never directed at him from his Masters.

"Don't worry, Harr-Harr. We will still return home. We're just gonna live in the good old U.S. of A. for a while. Or at least until Kitty-Cat does what he needs to do. Hee-chan even said that he can teach you how to ride a horse properly, if you want."

Harry stared up at the violet-eyed pilot in wide-eyed wonder. "Master Quatre has horses?"

Duo shot him a mock-affronted look before laughing merrily, dragging out a pair of black slacks and a grey shirt, tossing them at Harry before turning around courteously to let him change. "It's a ranch. Q-ball has horses, dogs, and the occasional stray cat that Tro-Tro brings home to patch up."

Harry giggled slightly as he pulled on the clothes, shyly tapping Duo's shoulder when he was finished.

"Ah!" Duo yelped in exaggerated despair when his eyes landed upon Harry. He placed one wrist against his forehead in a dramatic faint. "Kitty-cat is turning you into a mini-Quatre." His eyes widened comically. "He's turning _me _into a mini-him! I didn't even _think _about getting you some jeans!" He moaned pathetically, "the world is ending!"

Harry glanced down at his attire and stated with ruthless amusement, "Slacks _are_ rather nice, Master Duo."

"It's starting already!" The Deathescythe pilot bemoaned. "Lord save us!"

Harry giggled once more and daringly threw his arms around the elder teen, then froze at his own brashness, staring up at the pilot uncertainly. To his everlasting relief, the braided teen simply grinned and hugged him back.

"Now, Rashid is going to teach you some geography while the others pack, okay? If you need anything, just tell Rashid or give us a holler." Duo informed as he gently pulled back.

Harry tried not to scrunch up his face, truly he did. Unfortunately for him, he failed rather spectacularly. Geography? Blech!

Duo chuckled and ruffled his air fondly, planting a quick kiss on the top of his head. "Rashid is waiting outside your door. You can go out when you're ready, Kitten." With a jaunty wave, the self-proclaimed Shinigami exited the room, leaving Harry by himself. Truth be told, after the braided teen's seemingly boundless energy, the room felt empty without his presence. Clutching his own braid in one hand and picking up Flit in the other, Harry drew a deep breath and opened the door, greeting the large man with a weak smile.

"Master Quatre thought you might like to have the lesson on the patio." Rashid informed him quietly as they walked down the numerous halls. "He ordered pancakes and some fruit sent down for you, along with a glass of orange juice. I trust it is compatible with your tastes?"

Harry nodded wordlessly, stroking Flit from where he had scrambled up to rest on his shoulder. Before he knew it they were outside in the brisk yet somewhat humid air. With tentative grace, Harry sat and picked up a fork, falling on the food with an eagerness that surprised even himself. The pancakes seemed to glisten in all their syrup-drenched glory as he inhaled them, one arm curled protectively around the plate.

"Now, tell me about the origins of our colonies, Harry. Starting from…"

Harry mentally sighed, but obediently tuned into the gentle baritone voice of Rashid, preparing himself to recite all that Quatre and Wufei hat thought to teach him the day before.

XXX

Chang Wufei prided himself on being rather composed and clear headed in times when most would dissolve into distress. Though, in all fairness, he was rather required to be as his former occupation-if it could be called that- was one of a Gundam Pilot and his current one was a Preventer. Both were as far from being stress-free as they could get. In fact, his comrades and 'brothers' were as well…just not to his extent. Quatre hid his thoughts quite well when required, whether it be for Quatre Raberba Winner, CEO of W.E.I., or 04 of the Gundam Pilot Sandrock. Yet at home, the small pilot wore his heart on his sleeve. Maxwell, that infernal annoyance of a brother, was always showing some sort of emotion, and his boyfriend Yuy acted upon his own. Indeed, the only one who surpassed Wufei with keeping his emotions off his face was the one and only Trowa Barton. Yet even after all his hard work, the abominations that Maxwell had found and brought in made a hazy red film splash over his vision. Neither he nor the others made any move to stop the braided teen of their group as he furiously paced around the room, one hands yanking viciously on his hair until his boyfriend gently drew him into his lap, gazing with unnerving intensity at his comrades and those whom he called family.

"Maxwell." Wufei barked, slinking over to one of the two armchairs that graced the living room with their illustrious presence.

The dangerously dark-eyed pilot barely even flickered his gaze over in his direction before they continued their glowering at the images that were ingraining themselves on both the television and their own minds.

"Maxwell!"

The Deathscythe pilot jerked in his lover's arms and hissed (menacingly), "What, Chang?"

Wufei knew that the situation was appalling and stressful, but the use of 'Chang' instead of some absurd pet name or even 'Wufei' still startled him. Even then he didn't hesitate. "Were there any other ones besides that?" He motioned to the TV.

There was a dark, menacing chuckle that ripped up 01's throat as one strong finger pointed wordlessly to a previously unnoticed stack of home-camera tapes.

Horror filled his senses as Wufei stood with effortless grace and stalked over to the stacks of plastic that held nightmarish images. The thick, scrawling hand writing that tabled them left no doubts lingering in his mind. '_Playtime with Pet?' 'My Boys' Masochist?' _Revulsion filled his senses.

"The one that is currently playing is called _'Treats' Work time'_" Heero stated, his usually unwavering voice filled with a barely restrained anger. No doubt he would take great pleasure in revenge once the Dursley's were found.

Wufei could relate with the Prussian-eyed pilot as he watched with growing sickness in his gut as the tiny figure clad only in a pair of warn threadbare boxers and the silver collar scampered around a house, desperately trying to avoid the pudgy hands that groped him and a leering voice that jeered at him with such growing perverseness that it made Wufei's stomach want to rebel. An alarming crash had his head snapping up to the right, one hand hovering over his gun. It was only Quatre. If it were anyone else, such rash behavior would have been expected, given the situation. But the fact that it was the usually soft-spoken blond that had picked up the priceless vase and sent it to a crashing death against the pristine wall was more than vaguely alarming and had the blonde's lover darting across the room to catch the short pilot before his knees gave out to send him crashing to the floor.

"Those bastards." Quatre cried, clutching the protective arms that encircled him with claw like fingers. "Absolute bastards! My poor Harris…poor Harris. We can't even tell him about wanting to adopt him until we can find those despicable people!"

"Little one," Trowa murmured, seemingly at a loss as what to say.

"No!" Quatre raged, his normally light eyes darkening as Zero fought to take hold. Judging by the others' murderous expressions, they were contemplating with utter seriousness on whether or not to simply release it to get their revenge. If one thing was cemented that fateful day, it was Hanner's slow and absolutely agonizing death. "You saw the footage! You saw the _titles!_" Quatre screamed, writhing in his lover's arms. "Cirque du Freak! That is what he calls the entirety of these…these _monstrosities! _As if they were some favorite television show! Cirque du Freak…they are the freaks. Those absolute _bastards._" The blond whimpered before his head fell limply against Trowa's shoulder, eyelids falling delicately closed.

"We were unsuccessful in finding Dudley Dursley or his mother." Heero stated, withdrawing the syringe from Quatre's arm and depositing it in a nearby wastebasket. "Only these videos were found. However, the new inhabitants of the house in which they once lived hinted to a great revulsion to the prospect of owning human slaves and suggested we turn our sights to the United States of America, where both Dursley and his mother were planning on relocating to."

Wufei 'hmmed', but was unwilling to open his mouth for fear of the harsh language that would come spilling out if he did. Right alongside the bile.

"Heero."

They all glanced up at Duo's whispered plea, taking in the sight of wide violet eyes and the subdued expression- a very un-Maxwell sight.

"Yes, love?" Came the abnormally gentle response.

"Can we take a bath? Please?"

"I will start the water." Trowa stated quietly before the 'perfect soldier' could open his mouth, Quatre cradled lovingly in his arms. Wufie had started to follow, but was halted by a firm hand clasped onto his shoulder. He glanced at Heero in question.

"There is one more film you need to watch."

_Cirque Du Freak; Before His Breaking_

"_Say hello, pet."_

Instantly Wufei could tell the difference between this small but proud-looking boy and the broken slave that was currently outside with Rashid.

_Green eyes flashed with contempt and hatred for the man holding the camera. It was a different man, and a different house, but the silver collar was the same, if worn by a much younger boy. Maybe five or six, yet this boy wore the collar as if it were solid gold made for a prince instead of a dehumanizing tool of enslavement. Pale pink lips opened a young but harsh voice spilled out defiant words._

_XXX_

"_Hello, you inhuman and perverted bastards that will be watching this film. My __name__" He emphasized, "Is Harry James Potter, and this absolutely __wonderful __man," his lip curled in distaste at the mere thought that the one holding the camera was even considered being __close__ to a human specimen," is my Uncle, Vernon Eustace Dursley. Slave-owner and bastard extraordinaire."_

_One meaty hand swung out and cuffed the young boy over the head, sending him sprawling to the unforgiving ground. "Shut your mouth, Freak. Before I shut it for you." Vernon Dursley threatened._

_Instead of whimpering or flinching away, Harry glanced up at his Uncle with an almost dangerously supercilious air. "But Uncle, it thought you __wanted __me to speak."_

XXX

Wufei watched as Vernon beat his nephew with a violent brutality that he had never seen before-even I the war. Bile rose up and into his mouth, its vile taste paling in comparison to the images on the screen. Gagging, Wufei abandoned any attempt to finish the video and darted town the various halls and into the bathroom connected to Heero and Duo's suite. They always took their baths together-it was beginning to become a tradition, actually. No one would be surprised to come home and find their lover in the tub with someone who was most obviously _not_ them. In fact, Wufei could run out of fingers and toes counting the number of times Heero or Trowa came home and he was taking a bath with Quatre or Duo. Nothing ever happened, save for the flooding of the room, courtesy of Duo's mad splashing fights with his fellow comrades…namely Quatre. The four pilots, including the now-conscious Quatre- looked up when he entered. Understanding and empathy shone in their eyes as he quickly shucked off his clothes and climbed into the bath, regaining his composure rapidly now that he was away from the horrendous images. Of course, the strong fingers that kneaded his tense shoulders didn't hurt either. Bless Quatre.

"What purpose did you have in insisting on showing me that?" He was rather proud that his voice didn't waver, never mind the fact that it was rough and raspy, as if he had not spoken for a few days.

A hand landed on his cheek, coaxing his gaze up and into eyes that were as green as the boy's on the screen. "What were the differences between that boy you saw and the one that Rashid is currently teaching?"

Wufei blinked, frustration filling him as he floundered for the first time in a very, very long time. "Ah…"

"Differences, 05!" Trowa barked.

_That_ he could deal with. Order rose from the chaos inside his mind, snapping him back into place as 05, pilot of his precious Nataku (1) forced himself to respond to the orders. "That boy was stronger. Independent. He had no trouble responding to Dursley's threats with rebelliousness." He blinked, mind racing. "His language was…creative. And not something in which a boy of that age should have even known, much less speak. He was…defiant. Strong."

Duo nodded grimly. "And that is the boy that we are going to bring back." The braided menace seemed to come back as Maxwell grinned. "He will be a handful, that's for sure. Sarcastic little bugger."

Quatre seemed to allow the rapidly lightening mood soak into him as he relaxed against his lover's chest. "Allah save us."

Amusement filled the room at the blonde's mild comment even as Heero slapped his violet-eyed wonder across the back of his head with a stern 'baka'. The braided menace turned to his lover, pouting slightly. "What did I do?" He cried indignantly.

Heero seemed to contemplate the question, then shrugged. "I am sure you will do something later."

Duo opened his mouth to object, but at the stares of his fellow pilots he closed it with a snap, choosing instead to grin impishly at them, stating with a shrug, "Ah, he's probably right."

Wufei couldn't help the incredulous snort that escaped him. "No doubt about it, Maxwell."

The tension disappeared completely as the others grinned, turning to their bath with a determined air. They could get that independent, proud boy back; no matter what-or who- they had to go through to do it. The phone rang with a shrilling abruptness, causing Duo to roll his eyes at the fact that his blond brother had a _phone _in the _bathroom._

The young Winner answered it, his tone professional and cool as if he wasn't sitting without a stitch of clothing upon his body, on his boyfriend's lap, and in a tub with four other equally naked men. "Quatre Raberba Winner."

Silence, then-

"Of course! We would be glad to have you...No, no. No problems at all. We have a friend-well, brother actually, that we would like you to meet…yes, he is the new slave the press was talking about…Really? Well I for one am glad they didn't release a name or picture. Would have frightened the poor boy terribly. We are trying to free hi-yes, yes! It _is _possible! Heero and Trowa are out of those horrible contraptions already. Harry freed them not two seconds after he woke…His name is Harry Potter, though we plan on adopting him as soon as that collar is off…all right. See you soon. Mmm. Goodbye."

All eyes turned expectantly onto the blond, who smiled happily at them. "Zechs will be coming tomorrow to help us move."

Duo screeched gleefully before he shot his boyfriend a mischievous glance. "Looks like we won't be alone anymore, Hee-chan. Better use the last of our time wisely, don't 'cha think?"

Wufei barely restrained himself from gaping at the horny teen. "What am I, Maxwell? Or Harry?"

Duo waived a dismissive hand through the air. "You don't count and Harr-Harr sleeps like the dead."

An unholy gleam entered the Prussian blue eyes and the two lovers quickly slipped out of the water and wrapped themselves in towel's, not bothering to take the time to throw on some clothes as they would only be coming off with frightening speed. Soon they were out of the bathroom and into their adjoining suite in a flash. Not five minutes later Quatre started squirming uncomfortably, pupils dilating with alarming swiftness as the thick emotions of 01 and 02 hit him forcefully.

"Excuse us, Wufei." Trowa had the courtesy to murmur before gently guiding his lover first out of the tub and then out of the room.

For a moment everything seemed to quiet, but then something thumped in the next room, followed by what could only be Duo's snickers and then a loud moan. Shuddering, Wufei leapt from the quickly cooling waters and then ducked out of the room and into the suite, where the smell of sex already permeated the air, making sure to keep his eyes downcast so as not to accidentally glimpse the heated scene on the bed, though he restrained several winces when his eyes landed upon various items that he did not even care to think about. Another loud moan, followed by a lewd suckling noise made what fragile control he had had shatter into microscopic pieces. Shivering, he darted out of the dreadful horny abyss, frantically sucking fresh air into his poor nostrils as he hurriedly shut the door. He was rather courteous about it too, its wooden frame closing with a small _snap _instead of the loud boom that one other than him might have made in their desperation to get out. Let no one say that Chang Wufei was a coward, but he'd be damned if he ever saw his comrades, the ones he considered his brothers and loved (yes, _loved_) having any sort of sexual acts. Though he wouldn't mind seeing what that delicious Lightning Count had to offer…

XXX

Harry tapped his pen in a quick, staccato beat in his palm as he hurried along the halls. It was already past lunchtime and he had already eaten, due to Rashid's insistence. The big man suggested he go and read in his room, so he planned to do just that. Truly he was overwhelmed with joy at the opportunity to stay with his new Masters. They were kind and didn't seem to harbor any ill-will towards him. Not to mention that they were all very safe. None of them had lecherous eyes, though it helped that the only one not paired with another pilot was Wufei, but the Chinese teen didn't seem to even _think_ about him in that way, much less act upon it, and for that he was truly grateful. So it was with a light heart that he headed towards his room, pen tap-tapping away in his palm.

However, when he passed what Wufei had said was Heero and Duo's room, he paused. Strange noises emitted form behind the door, along with a rather strangled scream. Concerned, he raised his hand to knock on the door, but one not-so-pain filled shout of Heero's name, followed by a long, drawn-out moan of ecstasy had his entire face turning beat red and had his body hurriedly backing away from the portal that led into the suddenly frightening room. A shout had him scurrying up to his own residence, blushing heavily in embarrassment. Perhaps it would be a good time to finish that assignment Rashid had given him?

A long, loud moan.

The prospect of counting boring numbers and letters sounded refreshingly wonderful.

**Fin!**

**It is also called Shenlong (I think), but Nataku just sounds so much better, so I am going to go with that. Hehe.**

**A/N; This is the end of chapter 5, I hope you all enjoyed! Again, I am terribly sorry for the wait, but I find myself busier and busier as the school year comes to a close. I will try to update soon, and am already working on the sixth chapter. Hopefully it will be a bit longer than this chapter. Thanks so much for the reviews! And as always; Criticism will be smiled at, Flames will be scoffed at, and this website will be snarled at. **

**Reviews are nice.**

**Ciao! **

**Hades27**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**By Hades27**

**Rated; M**

**Disclaimer: don't own nothing, so go away!**

**Warnings; uh, nothing that I can think of.**

The morning came on surprisingly swift wings, the orange of the sun peaking through the curtains, painting the window and filling the room with its soft golden glow. Though Harry should have been excited about the dawn of yet another day that he had bafflingly survived, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of apprehension dart through him. Today was the day that his Masters' friend was coming over to help them pack for their move to the 'States. He wondered if this 'Zechs Marquise' was as nice as his Masters. Then again, no one could be worse than his former 'Master', Hanner. Right? Harry mulled over the thought for a moment, his body getting ready for the day on autopilot since his mind was otherwise occupied. Nothing could be worse than the big man's lewd leers and fists and constantly unwelcomed touches. But what if the 'friend' was as bad as Hanner? Not worse than-_nothing_ could be worse than- but just as bad? Harry knew his face had been drained of all color at the particularly morose thought, but could feel his usually rather healthily pink flesh turn chalk white at the next thought. What if this Marquise liked to visit him? Just like Vernon and Hanner's nightly visits? The air thickened, and the ground seemed to quake, rattling the furniture as if he was in some horrifically fake Hollywood film. But before he could settle into a fully panicked mode, someone knocked on his door, and a soft cut cheerful voice called out.

"Kitten? Almost ready? Breakfast is waiting."

Instantly his fears were soothed. Master Quatre would never allow that to happen. Not to him, not to anybody. Even if they deserved it. Harry laughed to himself. Strange enough, he could almost convince himself that that was true. Still, the blonds' presence was a much-needed relief.

"I am ready, master Quatre." He stated quietly, stepping out of the room on almost completely silent feet.

The Sandrock Pilot smiled and hooked one arm around his waist, gently guiding him to the dining room. Much to his surprise, a stranger was already seated at the head of the table, right by where Heero and Trowa were. Briefly he wondered how much pride the pilots had to give up to allow that man to sit there like that, but shooed the errant thought away a moment later. His Masters were not arrogant by any means, and judging from their ease around the man he was more of a close friend than a superior demanding recognition. Not that the pilot's would have allowed the latter. Harry was grateful that the man chose to sit by the two quieter pilots instead of down by him and Wufei. Even though his Masters obviously trusted the stranger, he did not.

"So this is the little friend you were talking about, Quatre? Yes, I will be quite glad to help teach him, when he is a bit…older." For the oddest moment, Harry got a strange impression that the man didn't exactly mean 'older'.

Even so, he gave a tentative smile and greeted quietly, "Hello, Master…?" He trailed off, looking at the man in a polite, but expectant manor.

Piercing blue eyes studied him before the man nodded minutely. "Zechs Merquise, at your service. Also known as Milliardo Peacecraft."

Harry mumbled a shy "Hullo" before digging into the food that Wufei had placed in front of him after gaining Quatre's encouraging nod. His emerald eyes rolled back in ecstasy without his permission as he relished the extravagant, yet simplistic taste of strawberries and the scrumptious, sugary waffles that they sat so elegantly upon. The succulent taste of the syrup ensnared his senses, the waffle seeming to melt on his tongue, capturing his quite willing mind.

"Harry? Haaaaary. Earth to Harry, come in Kitten!"

Harry glanced up at the smirking Duo, who was smirking slightly with a knowledgeable look in his mischievous violet eyes. "The food is very good, Master Duo."

The braided teen seemed to preen under the praise. "Why thank you!" An eyebrow quirked high in curiosity. "How could you have known that I was the one to choose breakfast?"

Harry let out a small, amused giggle, but it was Quatre that laughed merrily and said, "You and your sugar are inseparable, Duo. Of course you were going to choose Waffles! The mound of chocolate chips in them is astounding, and the only vaguely healthy thing in it is the strawberries! Which, I might be so inclined to add, are simply doused in sugar."

The self-proclaimed Shinigami grinned cheekily. "Astounding amounts of sugar, I admit." He agreed, then brightened. "But absolutely delicious!"

The rest of the pilots snorted, but chose not to comment, though Heero _did_ melt enough to give a loving tug on his lovers' braid and a chaste kiss when the full lips pouted up at him.

"When do you plan on leaving?"

The soft, but sure voice reminded Harry of Zechs' presence, prompting him to turn to the silver-haired, blue-eyed man.

"Around lunchtime." Was Quatre's light reply, his soft voice carrying easily over the tranquil and content silence that had descended upon them. "That should give us long enough to pack whatever we wish to keep with us, though we will have all the basic necessities at the ranch."

Zechs 'hmmed', eyes flickering over the face pilots before they landed upon Harry. The catlike man gave him a warm smile. "Would you allow me to help you pack, Little One?"

Uncertain, Harry bit his lip, casting a pleading glance up at his Masters. To his utter relief, his nii-san gave him a reassuring smile and nod, indicating his approval of the man. With a hesitant smile, Harry said "If you wish, Master Zechs."

Zechs seemed to grimace at the title, but didn't say anything, instead choosing t rise with a feline grace and _stalked_ over to where Harry was just finishing his own breakfast. How the graceful man managed to look non-threatening as he approached, Harry didn't know, but nevertheless, he remained relatively calm, going still as the man carefully collected his plate and disposed of them in the sink. It was rather strange for Harry, considering it was usually _him_ that was waiting on _others_, not the other way around. Still, he smiled and murmured a polite 'Thank you, Master Zechs', lips twitching when Flit decided to leap out of a shadowy corner and saunter over to the silver-haired man. His tail flicked imperiously as he butted his furry head against Zechs' booted foot, demanding that the man pay attention to him. With an indulgent chuckle, the Lightning Count obligingly crouched down, one rough hand practically swallowing the kitten's tiny body, though he was quite gentle as he ran his hand across the silky fur.

"Quite a little prince you have here." He commented, eyes dancing in amusement when the huge bat like ears of Flit twitched, tiny paws batting at Zechs' large-at least to him-fingers.

Harry permitted a small smile to spread across his lips as he led the man up to his room, blushing slightly when the man praised him for its cleanliness. "It is not that hard to keep it clean, Master Zechs." He offered quietly "Just don't' make a mess in the first place.

The Lightning Count expressed his fervent wishes to have that kind of belief, but made no other comment. For a while they worked in silence, collecting what few possessions Harry had, and the even fewer that he would be taking with him. As they were not moving to America for good, Quatre reassured them that all the necessities that they might need-including clothes- were already at the ranch. Even so, Zechs insisted that he pack a couple sets of clothing-just in case something happened. What 'something' might be, Harry didn't know. Yet he was not inclined in any way to find out. His trust in his Masters was unshakeable-at least until they proved otherwise. Flit was going with them, along with Harry's beloved dragon statue, a couple of books, and the modest-sized sketch pad and pencils that Quatre had gotten him after he had hesitantly mentioned he had always s liked to draw. Already a third of it was used up, filled with sketches and drawings of various things, such as the Arabian sunset, or the flowers in the greenhouse. Many of them, however, featured his Masters or Flit. It was those that he took the greatest amount of time on. To his amusement, at the beginning of the book he had unconsciously drawn them in the order of their numbers, though it was backwards. On the first page, he had drawn Wufei lounging leisurely on the couch, delicate eyebrows arched and wire-rimmed reading glasses perched on his nose as he read from the thick tome in his lap. It was a very relaxed sort of picture of his nii-san.

The next he particularly liked. It was Quatre, the small blond lying on his stomach in the sand by a neighboring oasis. The shade of a palm tree cooling him as he rested on the ground. The small smile that lingered on his lips was the only indication that he knew of Harry's presence when he was drawing his Master. Trowa was on the next page, his long, delicate fingers gently stroking the bat eared kitten that was lying on his lap. His bangs were brushed to the side, showing a rare view of his uncovered face. The adjacent page revealed Duo, out of his usual garb of the priest's ensemble and in a pair of jeans, a clingy red sweater-vest, and a black jacket. Harry had caught the violet-eyed teen in the morning, so his long hair was loose, falling in soft waves to his waist. A brush was posed over the chocolate locks, and Duo's mouth was open and his face was grinning as he was caught in the act of singing in a surprisingly pleasant voice as he got ready for the day. The last of a single-person drawing was none other than the 'Perfect Soldier' himself. His face was seemingly neutral, neither happy nor sad, but the small smirk of his lips betrayed his amusement as he stared directly out from the page. After that was an array of other things, such as the oasis itself; with its calm and cool blue waters, and the cheerful palm trees, the manor itself; gleaming brightly in the morning sun, and Rashid, leader of the Maganac Corps. However, in the last few pictures, Zechs had shown up. Wufei had shown him a picture of the 'other' Pilot, and he had incorporated what he saw into his drawings. Truly he should have recognized the man earlier in breakfast, but he had been too focused on the unfamiliarity of the person rather than the newcomers face. He was rather proud that he had gotten the silver-haired man's personality correct. In the pictures, Zechs' posture was confident and his body lithe and catlike, eyes glittering in intelligence. He was like that in the last drawing as well, which portrayed all of the pilots sitting or standing on or behind the couch. He was in the middle, Duo on his right, Quatre on his left. Both pilots had a hand on either of his knees. Behind them stood the four others, Heero was at the corner behind his boyfriend, one hand resting protectively-and, perhaps, restraining- upon his lovers shoulder. Next to hero stood Wufei, then Zechs, their smiles small, but genuine as they clasped their hands together behind the couch. At the other corner stood Trowa, his hand mirroring Heero's as it rested on Quatre's shoulder. Everyone was smiling, no matter how small or large. It soon became Harry's ultimate favorite. Because he was in the drawing, Rashid had kindly suggested that he take a picture beforehand and then draw the scene from the picture, also allowing him to draw in Zechs. Because of the suggestion, Harry found it easier to take more time and care when sketching, and the quality of his work was that of a professional. In fact, Duo had proudly proclaimed that Harry could sell his drawings for that kind of money, too. Harry had just laughed it off, but the idea-if he was ever freed-was extremely appealing. A sigh escaped his lips as he was drawn back to the present by none other than the Deathscythe pilot himself.

"Ready to go, Kitten? We're loading up the jut right now."

Harry nodded murmuring a quiet "Thank you Master" to Zechs when the cat like man opened the door that led out of the Manor for him. They entered the bright and rather spacious hanger that was filled with a multitude of cars, tools, and other things that Harry had no knowledge of, along with a huge space for the luxurious private jet. With a grin, the energetic pilot bounced over to him and pulled him into a quick hug.

"Excellent! The others are already in-it's just us that they are waiting for!"

Harry gave a very Heero like 'hn' and took a couple more steps before the braided teen's words caught up with his rather sluggish brain. Green eyes widened as he hastened to apologize. "Forgive me, Master Duo! I didn't mean to make you wait. Honest!"

The self-proclaimed Shinigami was already waving it off with a cheerful 'relax kitten. S'all good', but Harry's thought were already drawing him away from the present. What was wrong with him? Not one week ago had _anyone_ told him-even nicely-that they had been waiting on him, he would have immediately fallen to his knees and begged for forgiveness. Instead, he not only didn't respond to his Master for a full few seconds, but he had simply _apologized_, not even thinking that the violet-eyed teen would want to take retribution. What was wrong with him? That wasn't proper behavior for any slave, let alone him. And yet, there Duo was, eagerly cuddling up to his lover and chattering away, not one ounce of anger on his face. Harry was confused, and slightly frightened, but as he looked up at the pilots, a certain warmth filled him, flooding his senses with its foreign heat. With a satisfied sigh, he curled up against Quatre. The World might not be perfect, but for now, this was good enough.

XXX

**Time; Two days later. Place; Unknown. Person; Undetermined.**

Whisper…

Shout…

Murmur…

Bellow…

Mutter…roar, groan, scream, cry, screech, breathe, rage. Rage-happy, cautious, sad, joyful, indignant, furious, ironic, sad.

Sad…cry.

Cry, cry, cry, cry, _cry_.

He did those things. He _felt_ those things. Yet, he couldn't remember it. Sure, he was reasonably confident that he did and felt, but he couldn't remember _when._ Was it that long since he had shown those emotions? Or _any _emotions at all? It didn't sound like it was. Then again, nothing seemed to spark even the weakest flame of anything anymore. Perhaps it was because of that damned old coot. Always playing-manipulating. It could mess with anyone's mind. That bastard had wanted him to forget. Forget friends, family, emotions…life. And some he did.

But not others.

Not _her._ Not her beautiful red hair or laughing green eyes. And the other one…what was her name? He couldn't remember. Not even her face, though he did recall her headstrong personality and ridiculous glasses. What she must have thought of him, to see him like this. He didn't know. Not anything good, of that he was certain of. He had fallen far from what he had once been. He was but a shell of the young man that had proudly been sorted into Slytherin all those years ago.

"Master?"

If the small popping noise hadn't alerted him to the House Elf's arrival, its high, warbling tenor did the job quite well. "Speak."

And speak it did. "Master Malfoy has obtained the information you requested." It said.

If anyone other than a Death Eater had been in the room, they would have gaped at the coherency in which the elf had spoke. He snorted bitterly. And they called themselves light. The only one who was trying to do anything to help the House Elves was the muggleborn Granger. They didn't know that elves could be quite intelligent creatures if they had decent masters.

"Very well. Send him in."

The elf bowed and popped away. Minutes passed before the stately Lord Malfoy swept in, robes swirling around his ankles imperiously. For a moment, they said nothing, staring at one another in silence. Then, the Lord bowed.

"Hello, old friend." He greeted.

"Malfoy. Have you found him?"

The silver-haired Malfoy gave an almost imperceptible nod. "Indeed."

"And will you be able to collect him?"

The Malfoy Lord seemed incredulous and more than a little irritated at the mere _thought_ that he was anything but successful.

The man gave a low chuckle, waving one pale hand dismissively "Never mind, Malfoy. I know I can count on you, as cliché as that sounds."

The blond allowed a small smile to slip on his face, smug in confidence. Then he nodded quite hesitantly-or at least hesitant for a Malfoy. "I would be honored for you to call me Lucius. Lord Malfoy was my father."

He chuckled. "Very well…Lucius. You may do me the honor of calling me by my given name, if you so desire."

Lucius looked rather indecisive and more than a little scared as he bowed slightly, voice revealing an almost nonexistent tremble as he breathed. "As you wish…Tom Riddle."

Tom smirked in satisfaction, much like the cat that caught a particularly fat canary. "The Wizarding world has forgotten me, it seems, and only remembers Lord Voldemort. Let us remind them exactly how much corruption has tarnished our beloved world."

At first the Malfoy Lord seemed almost taken aback, but then a slow smirk crept onto his lips. "How, My Lo-Tom?"

"First, we rescue our resident Potions Master."

**A/N; that's the end of chapter 6, I hope you all enjoyed! I know it might have been a bit boring, but chappie 6 just didn't want to come out. Even I was pained in writing it. It wasn't as long as I hoped either, but seeing as I write the chapter down on paper and THEN type it, I'm giving my hands a workout. Typing's a bitch. Anyhoo, this IS going to be a Harry/OC slash (I think), but it will come in time, not right away… I think. I'm a rather spontaneous writer, so I might be lying to you right now. I know. I'm a terrible person. Hee hee. Thanks so much for the reviews! And as always; Criticism will be smiled at, Flames will be scoffed at, and this website will be snarled at. **

**Reviews are nice.**

**Ciao! **

**Hades27**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**By Hades27**

**Rated; M**

**Disclaimer: if I owned anything, I would be rich…I have no money…that means I don't own anything…**

**Warnings; things get heated up at the end, but I'll give any warnings for people who don't wish to read it. My first writing of this kind of…stuff…so no promises on how good it will be.**

Severus Snape had never been a man of many words; let others make a fool of themselves by babbling like mindless baboons, that was his philosophy. If one was silent, they had a much greater chance of being underestimated by their enemies and, as irritating as it was not to be recognized for ones full potential, being underestimated could be dead useful. Not to mention the fact that simply blurting out whatever words came to mind before stopping to think about what one was saying was an incredibly unintelligent thing to do-not to mention entirely _un-Slytherin_. And therefore utterly Gryffindorish, idiotic buffoons.

So when two of his longtime friends and acquaintances came gliding through his prison door as if they had not a fear in the world, he didn't gape or cry, or show any surprise at all. Instead, he rose with all the grace that he could muster, ignoring the chains that rattled around his wrists, and shot them a seemingly disdainful sneer.

"Took you long enough." He said scornfully.

Lucius shot him an approving glance, concern well-hidden by his ostensibly bored air. "Forgive me, but I don't not recall being at your beck and call. We had other matters to take care of."

Severus was not amused in the slightest.

"We are here now." Tom interrupted "And if you don't mind, I would like to depart from this foul place as soon as we are able."

Severus smirked when his chains fell away, landing on the ground with an irritating clatter. A wave of dizziness and nausea swept over him as he took his first step. "My friends…" He said faintly, reaching out to clasp Lucius' arm as the edges of his vision began flickering to grey. The other two men stopped at his rather out of character behavior.

"Severus?" The Malfoy Lord asked sharply.

"I am afraid I must leave you for a moment."

Lucius barely caught him as he collapsed into his arms, darkness descending not moments later.

XXX

As soon as Harry opened his eyes he knew something was wrong. His head throbbed painfully, and the morning light stabbed ruthlessly at his eyes. He whimpered, squirming uncomfortably under his sheets. It was too hot! With weakening limbs he threw the covers off, only to gasp as the cool air flooded around him in an unforgiving swarm. Frantically he tried tugging the blessedly warm cloth back on, but by that time they had slid off the bead and onto the floor. A violent sneeze wracked his body, followed by harsh coughs that seemed to rip up his throat, tearing into his poor flesh with an angry vigor. Shivering in acute misery, Harry curled into a ball.

"Harry! Are you all right?" Quatre's voice, normally so soothing now sent knives stabbing into his brain. He moaned. A cool hand rested gently on his cheek, massaging the bone there. "Not feeling so hot, huh? Well, Rashid and the others are out buying some supplies that we had overlooked, but Heero is here, and he knows a lot more about healing than I. I'll be right back, okay?"

Harry managed to give a single, small nod and what he thought might have been a 'yes, Master Quatre', though he couldn't be sure that it was comprehensible. Before the blond left, Quatre pulled the blankets over to cover him with tender care, placing a chaste kiss upon his forehead. "I'll be right back."

And then he was gone.

Though it couldn't have been more than five minutes since his master left, it felt like the blond had departed ages ago. Each second seemed like a minute, each minute was an hour until the world seemed to fade away, overwhelmed by the fiery furnace of endless aches, heat, and a dying need for water. The door opened then, and closed with carefully calculated softness. What he could only assume as Heero's footsteps, usually so quiet they seemed to be nonexistent, was like the most obnoxious trumpet trying to out-blow the crashing of the loudest symbols in the world combined with the bang of a drum and the boom of a gong, all wielded by annoying, overenthusiastic children. In other words; it hurt. But Harry could consider forgiving his master when a blessedly cool hand was placed gently against his forehead. He could feel the calluses with a sharp perceptiveness, could feel the roughness that was Hero's hand. A hand that had held many weapons and killed many people. But any harshness that he might have related to those hands vanished when they gently stroked his sweating face, moving damp hair away from his eyes and stroking it down his back.

"Not feeling well, otouto?" Heero's slightly nasal voice reached his ears, a low and soothing balm to the headache he sported.

"Hurts, Master Heero." He couldn't help but whimper, gazing pleadingly up into the unusually concerned Prussian eyes. "Make it go away?"

"Where does it hurt, Little One?" Heero murmured.

"Everywhere!" he didn't even feel embarrassed when a high keen of distress slipped out of his lips when the fire increased in its intensity. Jealously, he eyed the water that Heero had set on the table with undisguised longing. A strong hand slipped under his neck, lifting his head slightly as the straw from the cup was brought to his lips. Greedily, he drank the cool liquid, savoring at the sensation as it slithered down his throat and soothed some of the fire that consumed it. Fatigue washed through him in a sudden rush and he yawned broadly. Why was he so tired?

"Sleep, Green Eyes." Heero murmured, stroking his hair.

That was all the prompting he needed.

XXX

The rest of the day was spent lying in the cackling furnace of hell. Everything hurt, and the world spun sickeningly whenever he moved his head. Heero had left the water on the bed table. It simply sat there, and he desperately wanted a drink from it. Yet he wouldn't-couldn't- even consider lifting his arm to retrieve it, nor summon the strength to call out to whichever pilot sat in constant vigil at his side. It was worse than any of Hanner's or Vernon's beatings, to have something so close, yet so far away. Fortunately for him, the Gundam Pilots were very good at reading his facial expressions. Or at least they knew what he wanted. Every time he got that unquenchable, undeniable _thirst_, one of them, whether it be Heero or Quatre or-later on- Wufei or Trowa, one of them was always there, speaking softly as they gently lifted his head and inch or two off his pillow to give him a sip of water. Unfortunately, a sip was indeed all they allowed. Crying, whining, and pleading had no effect on them whatsoever, and- though many gave him sympathetic looks and soothing words, they remained steadfast and firm as they stopped any more of the water from entering his mouth. Later on, he was grateful as his stomach rebelled furiously, forcing its way up his throat and into the waiting bucket. Quatre's soothing hands supporting him every time.

"Easy, Kitten. Just relax. It will pass soon." He would say, holding sweaty locks of hair from Harry's flushed face. Each time, no matter what pilot, he would be cared for with the utmost sympathy and kindness. And each time, he would marvel at their affection before darkness descended.

XXX

When Harry woke once more, he welcomed the sun with open arms. It's wonderful warmth soothed him, its honey rays embracing his body as they danced over aching muscles and along his hair with playful whispers and mischievous murmurs. The soft breeze fluttered over his no longer sweltering skin and filled his nostrils with its fresh scent. Harry groaned in displeasure when it rested for a moment, allowing him to get a whiff of a rather ripe stench. One could only assume it was him.

"Awake again, Little One?"

He glanced up at the familiar voice. "Good morning, nii-san." He murmured, fingers fiddling with his blankets uncomfortably.

Thin lips quirked upwards. "Something wrong?"

Harry shook his head, but then paused. "M-may I please take a bath, nii-san?"

Amusement danced around in Wufei's dark eyes, but his voice was serious as he answered. "You are not fully recovered, Harry. However" His lips twitched again "I can understand your craving to cleanse yourself. Provided that I am at least in the bathroom with you, I see no reason as to why you shouldn't be allowed to bathe."

Harry shot the elder teen a hesitant smile, turning more genuine when the Nataku pilot helped him out of the bed. Mortified to find himself in naught but a pair of black boxers, he attempted to scramble away, only to be halted by a steel arm clamping around his waist.

"Easy, otouto **(1)**. No need to be ashamed." Warm breath puffed on his cheek as Wufei whispered the calming words in his ear.

Harry didn't fully realize that they had entered the bathroom until he was stripped of his clothes and placed gently into the tub. The warm water washed over him, causing him to shiver in delight as sweat and dirt was all washed off. Wufei had settled in a small but comfortable looking chair in the corner of the room, a book in his hand and his glasses once again perched on his nose. It was easy to ignore the others' presence as he washed away the layers of sweat and overall stench of sickness. That was what he liked about his nii-san. Wufei understood when silence was needed, and when it was not. Both Quatre and Duo were very intelligent, but they either did not understand, or ignored his need for peace and quiet. Trowa was always silent, but both he and Heero seemed to speak more with their eyes and actions rather than their words anyways. Wufei was the only one who would simply sit down and ignore him, giving him some much needed and much wanted time to himself. It was like that anytime Wufei was with him-unless he was teaching him, of course.

All too soon his fingers resembled wrinkly prunes and the water was only lukewarm. Still, he felt refreshingly clean. When he was ready to emerge from the steadily cooling waters, the Chinese pilot needed no prodding to courteously turn around. Shivering in the cool air, Harry quickly dried himself off, stumbling occasionally as weariness crept up on him. After he fumbled for the fourth time, Wufei gave a small sigh and turned around, gently helping him dress-much to his absolute mortification. Even though it was rather embarrassing to have to have someone else assist him dress-he was fourteen, for goodness sake! Perfectly old enough to dress himself, thank you very much-it was still nice to have someone care for him.

"The season is fall in America. The leaves on the trees are rather beautiful. Perhaps we can take a walk outside. Tomorrow, maybe." Wufei commented quietly as they moved back to Harry's room and seated themselves on the bed. Though Harry was rather tired, he had no desire to go back to sleep.

"Nii-san?" He whispered, eyes cast down on the quilt that was now covering him. "C…would you read to me? Only for a bit" He added quickly when Wufei opened his mouth. The Chinese teen shot him an amused look, but nodded all the same, selecting one book from the ebony bookshelf that graced Harry's new green and black room…mmm…mint colors. Yum.

"The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien." Wufei began "Concerning Hobbits…"

Harry closed his eyes contently as Wufei's voice washed over him in soothing waves. Pictures of green hills and grassy fields filled his mind as his master continued the story. Harry had already heard the story of Bilbo Baggins, along with the Ring Trilogy, but had no qualms about listening to it again. He had eavesdropped when Vernon had read them to his son, Dudley. His favorite by far was the Two Towers, with the Battle of Helms Deep. Dudley hadn't liked it because Haldir had died, but Harry thought it showed great character and bravery for the elf to fight, even if he did die in the end. Time passed, and soon Wufei's calm voice became a low buzz. He couldn't open his eyes even if he wanted to. He was actually quite thirsty, too. He should probably ask Wufei for a drink of water in just…one…moment…

XXX

Wufei contained the fond smile that threatened to emerge when the boy's body went limp into a healing slumber. He looked incredibly innocent, lying there. His dark raven hair was strewn across the pillow, still damp with the water from his recent bath. It was strange, how one so innocent could have such horror descend upon him. Then again, maybe not? After all, the world was an undeniably cruel place. Just take a look at what happened to him and his fellow pilots. Still, if there wasn't a war, then he might not have ever met his beloved Zechs, and Wufei wouldn't trade that for the world. So really, it was a lose-lose situation. Or perhaps a win-win? He didn't know. Someone knocked softly on the door.

"Enter."

"Did he wake?"

Wufei glanced up at the other green-eyed resident in the house. Concern was reflected there-both for the boy on the bed and for himself. He hadn't let the others sit with Harry for that long without him. Something of the boy just pulled him towards Harry. The small boy had easily slipped through the walls of his previously untouchable heart and earned his place as his little brother. And Wufei knew for a fact that it wasn't only him who thought of the boy as their newest brother. "For a moment. He is resting now." He replied.

The young Latin man gave a soft 'hmm', creeping on silent feet over to the bed to place an elegent, long fingered hand on the boy's forehead. "Fever is gone." The Heavyarms pilot observed.

"He is simply tired, Trowa. He will wake again soon."

" Good. Quatre was wearing himself out." Green eyes flicked upwards "As are you. Go get some rest, Wufei. I can watch our brother for a few hours."

A warm feeling soared through Wufei at the stoic pilot's statement. They all knew of their standings with each other, whether it be lover or brother, but this was the first time that the elder man had acknowledged it. Of course, it would do no good to express this newfound weakness, so Wufei ruthlessly stomped the warmth down, trying his hardest to ignore the understanding spark in Trowa's green eyes. Harry was the only weakness he was willing to openly acknowledge. Harry and Zechs. Any brotherly affection towards the other pilots could be used against him if word got out. With a final fond brush of his fingers through the damp hair, Wufei left the room on silent feet, pausing only when Trowa's elegant fingers came up to swipe along his cheek with startling tenderness.

"Never forget your family, Chang Wufei." The uni-banged teen murmured firmly. "Never forget that you are not alone. Not anymore."

"Face set in an indifferent mask, Wufei left with all the grace he could muster, stopping only when he was inside his own room and leaning against the closed door with great, panting breaths rocking his body as if he was a mere civilian who just tried to pilot Nataku for the first time."

"Dragon?" His lover's quiet call startled him enough to make his head jerk up, a slight gasp escaping his lips.

"Wufei?" Zechs' voice sounded alarmed. A cool hand slipped under his chin, lifting his onyx eyes to gaze into Zechs' blue. "What is wrong? Harris didn't grow worse, did he?"

Wufei permitted his lips to curl into a smile. Ever since Zechs had heard about Heero and Trowa's plans to adopt Harry, he had taken to calling the boy by his intended name whenever the boy wasn't around to accidentally hear. That was another reason-if they needed any, which they didn't- to get Harry out of that blasted collar. Even if the others didn't show it, Wufei knew that they were all desperate to get their little brother out of his restraints-both physical and not.

"No, Harry…Harris is fine. His fever has broken and he is currently sleeping." Wufei replied softly.

"Mmm." Zechs murmured, slipping closer.

**Uh, this is probably where I should warn off any who don't like to read…sexy stuff?**

Strong arms looped around his waist and drew his body flush against Zechs. It was then that he noticed his lover was wearing naught but a towel, his long silver hair still damp from the shower he must have taken. Firm muscles twitched slightly when he ghosted his fingers along his lover's delicious chest. A small smile played along his lips when the former Tallgeese pilot sucked in a quick breath, body quivering. He was acutely aware of the large, impossibly hard flesh pressing urgently against his pelvis, and for one moment, he mourned the fact that Zechs was taller than him. Of course, his mind went blissfully blank when Zechs hoisted him up and thrust him none to gently against the wall. Obligingly, he wrapped his legs around his lovers trim waist, noticing belatedly that the fluffy white towel had slipped off those delectable hips and onto the floor in a crumpled heap. Stars exploded across his vision as Zechs' proud member sprang fourth and pressed demandingly against his own. Hot breath puffed against his neck as the silver haired man nipped commandingly at his sensitive flesh. Pleasure shot through him and he moaned wantonly.

"Z-Zechs…" he groaned.

"Little tease. Now tell me what has haunted your thoughts."

Wufei's loud keen turned into a yelp when a blunt finger entered him harshly and without warning, scraping roughly against his opening with its dry surface. Apparently he hadn't answered quickly enough.

"Tell me, Chang." His lover growled.

"N-nothing." Wufei panted, then whimpered when that finger crooked to dig harshly at his walls, bringing no pleasure and all pain. "Z-Zechs, please! You're hurting me!" he panted, sweat trickling down his cheek.

"You are only hurting yourself. Need I remind you of your vow not to lie to me?" Zech's voice was icy, with no hint of his previous lust.

"Ngh." Wufei grunted, attempting to keep himself from squirming uncomfortably when the finger retreated from his most private, most sacred place, before it jabbed swiftly and sharply back into him. "Nothing! I was simply reminded that I have a family."

The finger jabbed again, its rough end striking a side of his wall punishingly. "And?"

His breath left him in a sharp gust. "That I am not alone."

His ass burned as a second finger entered him, stretching him rather uncomfortably, but they both brushed against his prostrate just enough to have him jerk as pleasure zinged through his body.

"Well then, perhaps I shall continue that reminder?"

Another, firmer brush had Wufei collapsing bonelessly against his lover, arms draped uselessly over the strong, muscled shoulders. "A-ungh!-as you w-wish."

BANG!

"Hey, Wuffers! Keep it down, would you? We don't need to hear your sex noises, as lovely as they are." Duo hollered from the other side of the door. In retaliation, three fingers jabbed inside, pressing against his pleasure spot almost painfully hard, but this time they stayed there, unyielding as Zechs' hips _undulated_, creating friction against both of their manhood's. Wufei's release had him screaming loud enough for China to hear.

**As I got many recommendations, I am simply going to go with otouto meaning little brother and, for the future, aniki meaning big brother. :)**

**Thank you, BronzeButterfly18, for pointing out the inconsistencies. Due to my mistakes annoying the crap out of me, I have deleted the old chapter and posted the new. Nothing has been changed or altered, save for Harry being the age of fourteen. Vernon's middle name? Well, I really don't care about nasty Vernon, so how about it can be Vernon Chance Eustace Dursley? Both would work, seeing as Dumbles has a gazillion middle names, too. Once again, my thanks!**

**A/N; Phew! I took a looooong time to update-my apologies! The good news is that school is FINALLY over, so no more exams or homework…for about two months. Joy. Sorry for not having Harry in the chapters as much-I promise next chappie will me mostly Harry! I don't know how many, but there will be at least some Weasley bashing in there. Old Tommy boy can't feel emotions that well because his mind kinda just broke under all that Dumbly put him through…at least, that's what I'm going with for right now. Might evolve in the story-winks- you'll just have to keep reading to find out! Did anyone see that the lovely Ammie Hawk adopted Fallen Hero's Rise? I actually squealed when I saw! I absolutely love that story. Anyways, thanks so much for the reviews! And as always; Criticism will be smiled at, Flames will be scoffed at, and this website will be snarled at. **

**Reviews are nice.**

**Ciao! **

**Hades27**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**By Hades27**

**Rated; M**

**Disclaimer: if I owned anything, I would be rich…I have no money…that means I don't own anything…**

**Warnings; none this chapter. All general things stated in Chapter 1**

"Harry!"

Harry glanced up at the enthusiastic shout that broke through the peaceful silence with raucous vigor. It had been two weeks since they had arrived at the ranch in America, and each day passed with intriguing new activities and different things to learn. Currently, he was perched on the warm lap of Quatre, cuddling happily with the blond. He had been quite surprised when his Master had gently yanked him down and looped strong arms around his waist while resting a slightly pointed chin on Harry's head. He was rather uncomfortable at first, to be completely honest, but the squeamishness slowly began to fade as the warmth of the young Winner had languidly crept up on him, turning him into a puddle of goo in Quatre's arms. Within no time his eyes had become half-lidded as he drifted in a blissful state between consciousness and the blank ocean of sleep. That is, until one overly energetic pilot gave an unnecessarily loud and enthusiastic greeting.

"Yes, Master Duo?" He inquired faintly, still drowning somewhat in the placid atmosphere.

"C'mon, Kitten!" The braided teen enthused, bouncing up to yank him with surprising gentleness off Quatre's lap. "Tro-Tro said that he would take us to the Zoo!"

"Yes, because you obviously need supervision wherever you go, Maxwell, and he knew without a doubt that you _would _be going, with or without him. In all probability, he simply wants to ensure that you don't scar the poor beasts too badly." Wufei commented mildly as he swept into the room, blatantly ignoring the braided teen's pout as he settled himself delicately onto the sofa and quite calmly opened his book, seemingly unconcerned with the slight glare being sent his way. "One could almost forget that you are the adult."

Duo pouted slightly. "Only almost? I must be losing my touch." His violet eyes brightened with mischief for a moment as he grinned at the Chinese teen. "Well" he stated coyly "at least we have _you_ to act all mature for us. Ol' Zechsy boy would no doubt be _very_ disappointed if you weren't of age."

Confusion brushed lightly at Harry's senses as he watched his nii-san blush and shift on his couch uncomfortably. Dear Lord-was Wufei, unshakeable, always composed Wufei _squirming_ like some schoolboy whom had just gotten caught by his parents doing something that he shouldn't? Inconceivable! Yet there he was.

"Just ignore them, Kitten." Quatre stated, standing up to pull him into a tight hug. "No need to listen to their childish behavior."

"C-childish?" Wufei spluttered in disbelief, pointing a finger at the self-proclaimed Shinigami. "He is the one making lewd remarks in the presence of a child!"

Duo shot the Arabian teen a wide-eyed look of innocence. "You know I was just telling the truth, Kitty-Cat."

Before the blond could open his mouth, Trowa entered the room. "Enough, Duo. Stop terrorizing Wufei, else I will not take you to the Zoo and instead accompany Harry to the park. You can go on your own time, by yourself."

"But _Trowa_!" Duo whined.

"Good morning, Master Trowa." Harry greeted quickly, before the situation could get out of hand. "How are you?"

The other green-eyed resident shot him a rare smile. "Well enough, Little One. And you?"

Harry blushed and looked down. Whenever he greeted Trowa, or anyone really, they always inquired about him, whether it be about his drawings or school work, or a general 'how are you' like just then. It was so strange!

Still, he had to answer. "I am well, Master Trowa. Master Duo said something about the Zoo?" He didn't even try to hide the eagerness in his voice.

Trowa nodded. "It would be nice to see some interesting animals-not that your little Flit isn't interesting, of course. However, if you do not wish to go, you don't have to."

"No! No, I would very much like to go with you." Harry blurted quickly, then paused, his cheeks burning. "If I am still allowed…?"

Duo sidled over to him and slung a casual arm around his shoulders. "Course you are, Green Eyes. Besides; I'm thinking that good old Hee-chan is needing some peace and quiet from all of Tro-bears chatter."

They all glanced up at the auburn haired man, who wordlessly raised an eyebrow.

"Of course. You are quite right." Wufei deadpanned.

The braided teen stuck out his tongue, but said no more. A light hand landed upon his shoulder, and Harry glanced up into Quatre's kind blue eyes.

"Go on, Kitten. Have some fun. We will be waiting for you when you return."

So, a half an hour later saw him trotting carefully down the paved road, peering with wide eyes at all of the different wildlife. He knew what the Zoo was, courtesy of Vernon's grumblings about how he would fit right in with all the animals and beasts. Still, he had never known that there was such a variety of animals. A cat was simply a cat- who would have thought that there were some cats that were taller than himself? One looked quite fierce as it seemed to glare at him as he followed his Masters over to its enclosure.

"What is that?" Harry couldn't help but wonder aloud. However, the reaction that his seemingly innocent question garnered was quite unexpected. Almost immediately the two elder men whirled about, shock and outrage illuminating their equally unique eyes. Eyes that seemed dull compared to the rage that overshadowed the brilliant colors. "M-Masters?" He murmured uncertainly, staring at them with no small amount of fear and uncertainty. Did he do something wrong? "I am sorry if my question offended you…?" What was he _doing_? His heart raced in a frantic beat. He should be apologizing for having the audacity to even _assume_ he could question his Masters- _not_ about the content of said question; a question that shouldn't have even been voiced. Or thought. Still, his mouth seemed to move of its own accord. "Is that cat not spoken of?"

He had to admit it was a rather intimidating creature-it could swallow poor Flit without even having to chew!

Duo seemed to have shaken himself out of his stupor. "Naw, Kitten. Just surprised that you didn't know what a lion was, that's all. Tell me, do you know the names of any of these animals?"

Wordlessly, Harry shook his head as shame flooded through him. His old Masters had never taught him anything other than how to please them. It was safe to assume that this creature-lion?- was a fairly well known beast, if the two pilots' reactions were anything to go by. Which meant he truly _was _as stupid as Vernon and Hanner said.

"Hey now!" Duo cried, tugging gently on Harry's braid, "none of those gloomy thoughts! It's okay that you didn't know what his kind was called. Tro-Tro and I'll just have to teach you! It's simple, once you get to know them."

"Indeed." Trowa said softly, bestowing his forehead with a rare, gentle kiss. "Let me teach you. As Duo said, this is a lion. The male has that large head of hair-it's called a mane-and the female does not. This one is currently called Simba, and the female is Nala. They are named after a well-known Disney film for children called 'The Lion King'." He gently nudged Harry Forward. "Now these next cats are called Tigers, easily identified for their tell-tale stripes. Their scientific name is _Panthera Tigris…_"

It was with great interest that Harry followed Trowa and Duo through the 'Big Cat' building, his mind swirling with pictures and names. Lion, Tiger, Leopard and Snow Leopard, panther (they didn't have those), cougar, bobcat, cheetah, and many more. Some in the Zoo and others out. After the Cat, Trowa escorted them to the Small mammal building, where Harry immediately fell in love with the fox and her growing kit. The day sped by quickly after that, and it wasn't until they found themselves in the Reptile/Fish building that anything happened.

At first, the building had seemed a tad bit eerie to Harry. The lights were all dimmed, and these strange pinkish creatures floated about in a circular glass container off to his right, flexing their semi-transparent bodies as they sluggishly floated about.

"Master Duo?" He whispered, tugging gently on the blak fall jacket that the other braided teen wore. "What is _that_?"

The violet eyed teen glanced at the strange creatures and gave a rather unreassuring shudder. "Those are jellyfish, Kitten. If you ever fall into the ocean, do _not_ touch them. It hurts like he-"

"Of course" The auburn haired teen interrupted before his fellow pilot could complete what was no doubt a swear word, "he knows this from experience."

"Hey! Since when do you go interruption people and spilling their secret?" Duo protested. "Besides, that was _one_ time."

Two pairs of glittering green eyes latched onto each other with amusement.

"Since you are unable to learn to watch your language, Maxwell. And as for your other statement, well," Trowa shot the self proclaimed Shinigami an amused glance "was it not directly after I was finished explaining exactly why the jellyfish were part of the group called Cnidarians?"

Harry felt his mood lighten as the two continued to banter back and forth. Even if he was in an unfamiliar place, filled with strange and often dangerous things, the light insults and jokes that the two exchanged was comforting and relaxed him, allowing his intrigue and curiosity to emerge as he gazed at all the things inside the glass containers.

One particular reptile caught his interest; the snakes. He had seen them when he was doing the tedious yard work for his former Masters, that was when he wasn't performing his…_other_, services. The slithering serpents had always interested him. Sometimes, he could have sworn that he could hear them-that the elusive beasts could actually…talk. The freakishness of such a thought had always frightened him then, and did so now as well. But as he stared at a beautiful snake-a python-he could reassure himself that there was no such thing as a talking snake. It was as absurd a thought as a talking dog or a flying pig, or Vernon actually completing a full day of hard work. Immediately his mood brightened. Until, that is, the snake lifted its head to stare at him with hard, beady eyes.

'_What are you looking at, human?'_ It spat in a startlingly deep voice-for a snake, that is. _'Nevver seen a Python before?'_

Harry was so surprised that he didn't even think as he stuttered out a startled _'n-no sir'_ before his actions caught up to him.

Instantly, he gained the attentions of both snake and Pilot.

_'A speaker, eh?'_ the snake actually seemed to growl _'I heard of your kind before. And those nasty twiggs you folk wave around like some bumbling baboons' _

"Harry?" Trowa called quietly "can you understand him?" Despite the oddness of the situation, the green-eyed pilot was as calm as ever.

The snake seemed to snort in amused disdain. _'Of course he can you dolt! What else could you expect from one of HIS kind?' _

Ire flickered through him at the snake's offensive tone and words. _'My Master is not a dolt, you petty, obnoxious, lifeless TWIT!'_ He hissed quickly before turning to his Masters.

"Kitten." Duo called softly, not at all his usual bubbly self. Was Master Duo mad at him?

"I-I am sorry, Master!" He blurted in the normal language. "I don't mean to be so freakish!"

"Easy there, Green Eyes." The Deathscythe pilot ordered, his strong arms quickly tugging Harry into a warm hug. "You are _not_ a freak. Got me?"

"B-but can _you _speak to snakes?" Harry accused, fastening his eyes upon the braided pilot, one hand clasping his own braid in agitation.

"Well, no." Duo admitted. "But-"

"So I am a Freak! I am not normal." Harry sniffled quietly. It really was disappointing to have his Master try to lie to him. Then again, who _wouldn't? _He wasn't anyone important.

"Enough." Trowa's steady voice quickly halted all objections Duo would have made and forced Harry to focus on the tall man. A cool, elegant hand slipped under Harry's chin, drawing his eyes up to meet the one visible one of Trowa. "You are not a freak. You are a perfectly normal boy who has had bad things happen to you. If anyone is to be called a freak, it is those disgusting 'masters' you had had before. I will not hear of you beating yourself and your worth down any longer. Am I clear?"

"But-"

"No, Harry. This is non-negotiable." Trowa ordered sternly." Do you think Quatre is a freak?"

"No, of course not!" Harry protested immediately, horrified at the mere _suggestion_ that the loving blond could be called something so…dehumanizing. "Never!"

"But he can sense others' emotions. We call it his Space Heart. No one else can do what he does. Doesn't that make him a freak?"

"No!" Despite himself, curiosity quickly overrode any other emotion that might have been mixed into the confusing goop of emotions inside his head. "Can he really do that?"

"Really really, Kitten!" Duo butted in cheerfully as he gently tugged on Harry's braid. "That's why we didn't think you were just imitating old snaky over here. It sounded _way_ too much like talking, for one, and If we can have an empathy in the family, why not a snake speaker as well? We're used to strange things happening."

Harry gave them a timid smile, which they both returned reassuringly. "Honest?" He couldn't help but murmur.

"Hey now, I _never _lie." Duo cried in outrage.

Harry gave a slightly watery giggle and allowed himself to be led away from the now-grumgling Python.

"Now, I think that's enough drama for today, huh? Let's go home and tell Kitty-Cat and the others of your new talent."

Another giggle slipped out of his lips when Trowa gave a rather…well, _un-Trowa_ eye-roll and griped "Try not to kill us with your abominable driving, Maxwell. Quatre would be decidedly unhappy if you killed us."

Duo hot his fellow pilot a lecherous grin and slurred lewdly "I'm sure you are absolutely right, Tro-Tro."

Harry flushed scarlet when the only answer Trowa gave was a smug smirk and decided to quicken the pace to the car, eager to get home and into Flit's company, seeing as the small kitten was the only presence he could stay in and remain relatively sane. Duo chuckled slightly, apparently having correctly guessed his line of thoughts, but to Harry's eternal gratitude, chose to remain silent.

"So do you have any special plans for tonight, Barton?"

Well, sort of.

**A/N; Well, there you go! Sorry again for the longer time I took to update. At least summer seems to finally have gotten the memo that its turn is up! Thanks so much for the reviews! As always; Criticism will be smiled at, Flames will be scoffed at, and this website will be snarled at. **

**Reviews are nice.**

**Ciao! **

**Hades27**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**By Hades27**

**Rated; M**

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing, so don't bother me!**

**Warnings; none this chapter. All general things stated in Chapter 1**

When Harry arrived home-did he actually just say _home?_ He must have-nerves jangled throughout his body. Sure, the others _said _that Quatre had…special abilities, like him, but what if they were wrong? What if what Quatre could do was totally unlike his own ability? When he stepped into the kitchen, all uncertain thoughts and insecurities fled his mind as fast as Duo when Heero was after him for a particularly unsavory prank. He was immediately bombarded with a very wet, extremely unhappy Flit. The normally graceful and somewhat pompous little kitten had abandoned all signs of decorum and was clinging to his chest like a particularly stubborn burr. Truth be told, he looked rather pathetic, with his fur sticking to his skin, sodden tail hanging limply and his silvery whiskers drooping with the weight of the water droplets that had accumulated onto the ends. Mournful grey-blue eyes stared up at him as his kitten gave a quietly disgruntled mewl.

Harry restrained a quiet giggle at the sight, but Duo had no reservations about letting loose an amused chuckle. "Looks like someone gave your kitten a bath, Green-Eyes."

Flit glared up at the braided teen, a small but fierce growl rumbling in the back of his furry throat, though due to his age and size it sounded more like an irritable squeak. Harry was hard-pressed not to release a fond coo. Besides; he didn't _coo._

"Yes, well he would not have needed a bath if he hadn't dug up all of my roses and got dirt all over himself and the floor." Quatre's familiar voice resounded quietly as he strode into the room with an unerring grace, blond hair as unruffled as always.

Yet Harry's mind was not on his Master's seemingly unshakeable equilibrium and impeccable poise. Instead, it was on the blonde's words. It seemed to be too much, first his freakishness with speaking to snakes, and now his pet had apparently not only ruined Quatre's flowers, but tracked dirt and mud all over! They would kick him out for sure. "F-Flit dug up your roses?" Harry flinched. He knew first hand just how hard it was to replant those prickly, unforgiving bushes. Weren't dogs supposed to ruin things, not cats? Why on earth would Flit misbehave like that?

"I am so sorry, Master! I will take care of that immediately." Harry started to depart to the garden, but a quick hand on his arm stopped him.

"Nonsense, Little One. It wasn't that difficult to replant them. It is already finished." Quatre soothed.

Yet Harry was far from being reassured. Instead a sharp, searing sense of shame reached him, burning through his veins like a little liquid drop of lava. "Yes, Master." He murmured, making sure to keep one hand on Flit's shivering body, the other firmly clamped around his braid as he hung his head. "What will my punishment be, if I may ask?"

The blond teen looked startled. "Punishment? You didn't do anything, Harry!"

"I allowed Flit to get into your garden, Master. And he ruined everything." Harry replied tonelessly. Couldn't his Master see that he was at fault here? It was painful enough to admit it inside his head, but it was worse to have to explain it to the man who should already know.

"You weren't even home, Kitten. If anything, it's Quatre's fault for not paying enough attention to the little monster." Duo butted in.

"But-"

One calloused hand clamped down on his upper arm, firm but gentle at the same time. "Enough, Harry. If I had torn up Quatre's garden, would you blame it on Duo?"

Harry stared into the Prussian blue eyes of the 'Perfect Soldier' that gazed so sternly down at him, expecting an answer. "Of course not, master Heero." He rejected. "Blaming Duo would be silly, he didn't do it."

"Then why are you blaming yourself when you clearly did not do it?"

That question, so simply stated, caused a rush of turmoil throughout him. "I" he started slowly "I don't know."

Quatre laughed softly. "That is a strange reason, Kitten."

Despite himself and his insecurities, Harry giggled quietly when the Arab gently flicked him on the nose.

"Better?"

He nodded, and with a shy glance at Duo, asked; "Master Quatre? M-masters Duo and Trowa said that you had a special…talent?"

Shock darted through the Sandrock Pilot's blue eyes before curiosity chased it off. "…Yes." The blond replied slowly. Harry didn't miss the meaningful looks that the blond was shot when he glanced over at his fellow pilots. "I have the ability to…" He trailed off and then shrugged. "Well, to put it in the simplest words; I am an empath. I can tell what others are feeling. We call it my Space-Heart."

Harry felt a mild sense of relief, not only that he wasn't the only one with abnormal abilities, but for the fact that the two other pilots' story matched up with their fellow pilots'. Since they couldn't have seen it coming, and hadn't been by each other since that morning, the three wouldn't have had the time to consult each other to construct a story. He trusted Master Duo and his fierce attitude when it came to the accusations of him lying, but all people can make mistakes. It was a fact.

"I think that Har-Har has a little something to tell you?" The aforementioned pilot informed the others, prompting three very different, yet all piercing gazes to meet his own eyes, digging their way into his very soul and stripping him bare to all.

Suddenly, he was nervous. Even with all of Trowa and Duo's reassurances, Harry was still hesitant to inform the others about his strange ability. He had just found a good life, and was not eager to have it ripped away from him.

"It's like Kitty-Cats in its uniqueness. His gift, that is." Duo prompted gently.

Harry cleared his throat. "Ah…well, it ha-happened at the Zoo today."

"And?" Wufei prodded.

"And…Imightbeabletospeaktosnakes!" He blurted out in one breath.

Quatre blinked. "Ah, Kitten, might you possibly repeat that? Slower, please."

Harry could feel his cheeks flush, but did as asked. "I uh, can speak to snakes, Master Quatre. We found out in the Zoo.

"It's just Quatre, Kitten." The blond replied faintly. It was clear that his Masters' mind was far, far away from the present, if the shock that was present in his blue eyes was anything to go by. The other two weren't struck dumb like their brother, but they were not offering up many words either.

"Hn."

Harry blinked. "Hn? That's it?"

The Wing Zero Pilot cocked an eyebrow at him as if to say 'well, what else would you like me to do?'

Harry let a small giggle slip from his lips. "You-you are okay with it?"

Quatre seemed to snap out of his daze at his hesitant question, quickly gliding over to scoop him up into a strong, secure hug. "Of course, Little One." He breathed and then brightened slightly. "We should teach you how to hone this ability-it could be useful for many thing, such as gathering information or even giving you an unexpected guardian if you manage to get a snake to like you. Something I have no doubt you will." Harry felt the blonde's nose bury itself into his thick mane of hair as Quatre inhaled. "You are perfect."

Wufei rolled his onyx eyes. "That is impossible, Quatre. No one is completely 'perfect'. To be perfect one must please the entire world, which is physically impossible and would ruin any person who would be foolish enough to try it."

The C.E.O. of W.E.I. tightened his arms around Harry, and it almost seemed as if he was debating what kind of response the Chinese teen's words garnered.

When he deliberated too long, Duo took matters into his own hands and stuck out his tongue. "Har-Har is perfect to us, Wuffers. Who cares about the rest of the world?"

Wufei pursed his lips at the nickname, but eventually decided to let it rest. Of course, it helped that Zechs decided to enter the room at that moment.

"Good afternoon, Harry." The silver-haired man said after his traditional hello kiss bestowed upon his lovers awaiting lips.

"Hey!" Duo pouted slightly "No 'Good afternoons' for us?"

Sensing the slight leer to his boyfriend's otherwise innocent words-if Duo and innocent could actually be put into the same sentence- Heero growled and looped his arms around the shorter male, drawing him into a fiercely possessive kiss that clearly screamed 'mine!'

Harry blushed madly as he allowed the other four to draw him gently out of the room; leaving a glassy-eyed Duo slumped in the arms of his lover.

XXX

The day-or what was left of it at least, passed by fairly quickly after the 'confrontation', as Harry had taken to calling it. Wufei had dragged him off to study-mathematics, this time. Truth be told, Harry didn't mind in the least. He took great pleasure in learning all of the new things that the pilots had to teach him. In all actuality, he considered it a great honor. Not that he was getting information stuffed into his brain (no matter how useful said information was) but it all to painful for everyone to note that no one had been there or cared enough for him to take the time to teach him anything. Indeed, the only things that Harry knew were those that he taught himself, or the things that his previous Masters saw fit to teach him; and all of _those_ lessons he would rather cut off an arm that relive.

Harry quite enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere that resided in the garden where Wufei had chosen to teach him, as the kitchen and the living room were no doubt being used for…other purposes. He loved the lively music of a flute and violin that he could hear drifting down from Trowa and Quatre's room. He liked the slight breeze that ruffled Wufei's unusually unbound hair as the Chinese teen bent over his shoulder to point out various mistakes he had made. So much different than the life he had been living before he was rescued. What would Hanner think if he could see him right now? Harry had to suppress a wry snort. Certainly not this. The vindictive man had expected him to get broken beyond recognition with Quatre. But instead, Harry was mending. Oh, he was not whole again, not by any means, yet he had a rather odd feeling. One that told him that with the patient and loving care from the pilots, becoming whole wasn't so far away after all.

Harry shook his head to rid himself of the webs of sentimentality that had ensnared his mind. No use lingering over that when Wufei had quite clearly stated that he must finish all thirty mathematical word problems before eating dinner. Apparently Trowa was cooking, and Harry _definitely _didn't want to wait any longer for that, considering that despite all of the things that went on in the uni-banged man's life, he had actually picked up on some delicious cooking talents.

"Harry?"

Wufei's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, prodding him to look up into onyx eyes. "Yes, Master Wufei?" He replied questioningly.

The teen wordlessly pointed to the paper, one dark eyebrow raised.

Sheepishly, Harry turned back to his lesson, a ghost of a smile dancing upon his lips when the Nataku pilot gave an approving nod. Not whole, Harry agreed with himself, but not broken, either.

On the mend.

XXX

**Malfoy Manor, 11:43 P.M.**

Never, in all of his life, would Severus Snape say that he liked that detestable, annoying, absolutely _repugnant _poltergeist that resided in Hogwarts, and he certainly wouldn't be caught dead actually _smiling_ at the irritating brute, but he came wretchedly close when Peeves had shown up at his current place of residence holding a piece of parchment that he had snatched from Dumbledore's office. After Severus' unfortunate…detainment, he had not dared to step even one foot inside the once-noble Castle and school. Thankfully, he had many little Slytherins who were all perfectly willing to carry messages for their former Head of House-even if it was to the ghostly prankster. That one tiny fact told Severus many things, the first-and perhaps most important- was that Hogwarts was on the verge of its destruction. After all; how long could a school full of headstrong teens and almost-teens last if at least half the population didn't trust or remain loyal to their Headmaster? Oh yes, Severus had heard the whispers that had already formed even before Dumbledore had thrown him into the dungeons. Whispers that had only intensified as time dragged by.

The crazy old man was losing his power. Peeves had confirmed it; even the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were beginning to question the meaningless rivalry that the Headmaster seemed to encourage. And the spells that were being taught? Childs play. Disarming charms and stunners would only get you so far. Yes, Dumbledore was definitely losing his grasp on power. Yet, Severus didn't know if that was a good thing or not. It was too early for the manipulative coot to lose his power. Tom didn't yet regain even a fraction of the memories he had lost after his mind had broken, and having one not quite so sane Dark Lord ruling a school was not a desirable situation. Tom _must_ regain his sanity before he regained power.

But once he did, Hogwarts; the only home Severus had ever known, would be restored to its former glory. Once again it would be what the founders had intended it to be; a school full of learning-both dark and light. It would have no prejudices, and all of the best Professors would teach Hogwarts' children, no matter if they were human or not. That was Severus' dream. And once Tom regained his sanity, it would be his, too. But in order for that to happen, he needed all of the Horcruxes. He had six of them, now he just needed the seventh.

He needed Harry potter.

Severus sighed and leaned back in his chair, studying the Piece of parchment that the poltergeist had acquired. It was a list, actually. A list of all the places that Dumbledore had searched for his lost tool, a tool that he had never even got to use, thanks to some handy charms. Severus truly hadn't been lying when he told the Headmaster that he had no idea where the boy was. He had placed the Fidelias charm on the boy, keyed into only Dumbledore's magical signature, thereby preventing only the old man from locating the boy. Ingenious, really. Severus himself had been Secret Keeper, of course, but one carefully aimed obliviate from Lucius had taken care of that problem. They knew what the boy meant to the Dark Lord, even if Tom didn't recall it. The charm had been placed right after the Potter's had died, but thanks to the list Severus had only one place to look before he had to go search off planet.

America.

Damn Yanks.

XXX

**A/N; Well that's chapter nine! To get right down to business; I know that I seem to be taking Harry's recovery a bit too fast, and I apologize for it, I didn't do it intentionally. I always seem to rush things! I'll try to slow down a bit if I can. But hey! I want to see Harry recovered and a sarcastic little bugger too! As for the snake issue; well, I garden a lot and I don't know if I have crappy luck (I kinda like snakes) but in all of my years, I only saw two snakes in the garden, and both never hissed or anything. So let's just say that Harry has my luck when it comes to snake-spotting. As for why Harry is a slave-his parents are dead, and the Dursleys got guardianship and hated him. And the collars were created from a failed prank, and Dumbly asked for them. Look at Chapter 3, right at the beginning. All of the reviews were very much appreciated-don't be afraid to criticize! I love it when I get things pointed out to me so I can improve my story to the best of my abilities. So as always; Criticism will be smiled at, Flames will be scoffed at, and this website will be snarled at. **

**Oh! And I actually did manage to finally finish watching the episodes. I found them on this nifty little site called , where it is all English dubbed. I admit it-I have officially fallen in love with the pilots! Hehe…kinky.**

**Reviews are nice.**

**Ciao! **

**Hades27**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**By Hades27**

**Rated; M**

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing, so don't bother me!**

**Warnings; none this chapter. All general things stated in Chapter 1**

When Harry woke up on Monday morning he knew that something was different. Duo, for one, was not gracing the kitchen with his terrible and lively presence, nor was Wufei the living room that was connected to it. The open, spacey design making it easy for the two to continue their usual lighthearted bickering and bantering as the Chinese pilot sipped at his morning coffee and read either the newspaper or a ridiculously thick novel of his choosing. Heero wasn't in his usual spot at the table with one restraining hand entangled in his lover's thick braid. However, Trowa and Quatre were in their usual spaces, with Quatre sitting on the counter and Trowa leaning against the granite surface next to him as he allowed his blonde lover too play with his cinnamon hair. When he entered the room, both glanced up at him with welcoming smiles.

"Good morning, Little One." The Sandrock pilot greeted. "Did you sleep well?"

Harry nodded, accepting the offered cop of orange juice from the uni-banged man with a grateful smile. "I did, Master Quatre. I hope you slept just as fine?"

The two older males traded glances, ending when Trowa seemed to shoot the blond a smug smirk. Harry didn't even want to decipher the reasons as to why, though he had a good idea.

"We did indeed, Green Eyes." Trowa murmured, running one gentle hand over Quatre's clothe covered thigh.

"The others are outside, if you were wondering." The blond spoke up after a few minutes of comfortable silence. "Something about leaves? Duo said that today is supposed to be our 'lazy day' and that he has planned something special, if the weather is right. Allah help us." The last part was muttered, but both he and Trowa heard, if the minute twitching of his lips was anything to go by.

Harry let a small, amused giggle slip through his lips to accompany it and said only one word. "Duo.

Trowa cast him a knowing smirk. "The others were dragged out to 'play'."

For some reason Harry really couldn't see the two serious oriental teen's 'playing'. They were most likely watching Duo or practicing with their swords-or were they called Katanas? Was that even a word? He couldn't remember. All that mattered was that they were sharp and could potentially hurt if they were touched in the wrong way. Enough to know that it would be wise of him to stay far, far away if none of his Masters were around. It was with great trepidation that he ventured out the front door. The scene that met is eyes was much like what he expected. Though they were on a ranch, the front yard was covered in a smattering of trees that continued without falter all the way to the end of their driveway-which was about one mile away, at least. However, for the first twenty feet or to there was a small clearing that was filled with noting but grass and a small pond with a gurgling fountain in its center.

And a massive leaf pile that was steadily growing with Duo's persistent coaxing.

Off to the right the two oriental teens were gracefully flowing from one form to another, their movements calm and controlled, much like the pilots themselves. In the middle with Duo and his leaf pile was the former Tallgeese pilot, wearing a long-suffering expression as he allowed the braided teen to push him into the aforementioned pile after an obviously unsuccessful attempt at cajoling his brother into letting him go. The 'braided baka' called out a greeting to Harry, not looking at the disgruntled pilot as one hand flashed out to shove him back into the pile when he tried to creep out.

"Kitten!" Duo crowed, bouncing with his usual endless energy over to where he stood.

Rather reluctant to suffer the same fate as the unhappy silver haired man, Harry nonetheless let his wrist to be taken captive and his body to get dragged over to where Zechs was just resurfacing for the second time, leaves clinging to his long hair.

The sky had already been dark, so it was no surprise to him when a low rumble that was definitely not Duo's stomach sounded in the distance, followed shortly by a brilliant flash of lighting. Violet eyes glared after it, though Harry couldn't stop himself from breathing a sigh of relief as he subtly slipped his captive appendage out of the iron clamp that was Duo's hand.

"Soooo not fair!" Duo whined. "Oof!"

The self-proclaimed Shinigami grunted when his lover silently came up and started to drag him away by the end of his braid, ignoring the protesting shouts and whines that resulted from it.

A gentle hand grasped his shoulder, causing him to start violently and whirl about.

"Forgive me, otouto," Wufei apologized courteously "But it would be wise to go inside. The storm is headed this way."

"You startled me, nii-san." Harry mumbled as he allowed himself to be led away.

No reply was made, but the Chinese teen did give his shoulder a light squeeze as they entered the house once more, permitting the grumpy Zechs to close the door.

"But _Hee-_chan!" Duo's whining greeted their ears, followed by a very discontent and _very _firm "_No!"_

"Fine!" Harry could almost see the put that the Deathscythe pilot no doubt wore, most likely followed by a sullen glare. "Can we at least watch it inside?"

Even though he couldn't see the two pilots, seeing as they were in a different room, the stern Prussian eyed teen must have nodded, because not two seconds later a rather lout and enthusiastic '_Thank you!"_ echoed throughout the house and the enthusiastic perpetrator darted into view.

"C'mon, Harr-Harr! Heero said we can watch the storm."

And so, not ten minutes later Harry found himself eating the unusual breakfast of popcorn and more juice as all of the pilots made themselves comfortable in the houses sun room that was connected to the kitchen. Harry had been dragged by the braided teen to sit smushed in between the God of Death himself and his boyfriend.

At first, there seemed to be nothing to watch except the rapidly darkening sky and the occasional water droplet that managed to plunk itself down onto the windowed walls that made up the sun room. To be honest, Harry was beginning to think that the violet eyed pilot had been wrong and the storm was going to pass them by or die out before it reached them. He was proven wrong however, when a sudden heart-jolting crash resounded above their heads, rattling the now fragile-seeming walls with its attention demanding roar.

Now, Harry was grateful to be beside the two elder males, clutching one of their hands in each of his own. Again and again, the thunder screamed, more callous and demanding then the most imperious and mighty lion. Lightning streaked across the sky, flashing quickly-almost like one of those strange strobe lights that Duo had played with before Heero had forced him to get rid of it. It lit up the surrounding land with vivid detail, leaving the sight etched in Harry's mind before it was chased away by another flash. The trees all swayed maddeningly, as if they were scolding the intricate spider webs of off lightning that danced across the sky, followed by thick bolts that beat aside any thoughts that might have suggested that the charged bolts could be anything but dangerous.

Thick, fat droplets of rain pounded in a relentless torrent against the windows, their all-encompassing mass blotting out any bits of sky and giving the impression that it was late at night instead of the early morning. About halfway through the storm Wufei had suddenly jolted upwards, hands flying to the pager at his hip. All eyes had turned to the Nataku pilot, but he simply stood up and walked out of the room, his lover close on his heels. Not much time had passed after Wufei left when a particularly vicious crash that had even Quatre, who had fallen asleep on his lover's lap, jolting awake had Harry trembling into Heero's arms before he knew what he was doing. As soon as his brain caught up with his actions he froze, staring uncertainly up into surprisingly reassuring blank Prussian eyes. Much to his relief, hero merely tightened is muscular arms around him and drew him more securely onto his lap before returning his attention back to the storm. Sighing in relief, Harry did the same.

"After this Wufei will no doubt make you review your geography skills with him." Quatre commented sleepily, stretching out with a fuzzy yawn and curling one slim hand into his partner's auburn hair.

"Aww, let 'im be, Cat. I'll chase Fei-Fei off. Today is strictly for fun. Or movies-which would be fun anyways." Duo slurred, coming out of his reverie enough to wave a scolding finger at the small blond. "Geography can be for tomorrow."

"I was supposed to teach Harry a bit about politics tomorrow." The Sandrock pilot replied "And we agreed only one or two subjects a day-and Politics will definitely last long enough to be considered two."

Duo pouted for a moment before speaking up. "Wednesday?"

"I will be showing him the basics of weaponry safety as well as navigating his way on a computer." The 'Perfect Soldier' responded.

Duo frowned, tugging on a thick braid-Harry's, though the violet eyed teen seemed too preoccupied to notice, much to his disgruntlement. "Thursday?"

Heero rolled his Prussian blue eyes in exasperation and not a little amount of annoyance. "You are teaching him the basics of stealth and lock-picking on Thursday."

Harry giggled at the irritated look on the braided teen's face. "How about Friday?" He offered innocently, knowing full well what the answer would be. He, at least, could keep up with the few things that were scheduled the upcoming days.

"I am to start you on various exercises that will increase your endurance and flexibility that day, Little One." Trowa murmured softly, and though his face remained half concealed and expressionless, Harry could see a flicker of amusement in the eyes that were so similar to his own.

"Well fine!" Duo huffed, throwing up his hands in mock despair before shooting them all a mischievous grin. "I guess he will have to skip Geography. Poor Wuffers."

"Poor Wuffers what, Maxwell?"

The Chinese teen come in just as the thunder gave its last clash before retreating to grumble in the distance, towing its lightning and rain along with it, though the thick clouds remained.

"Nothing, Fei-Fei. Get something interesting, or did you skip out 'cause you were bored?" Duo's brows furrowed dangerously.

Onyx eyes rolled before Wufei held out what Harry recognized as one of the cellular phones that the strange and rater scary Lady-Une, was it?- gave them for their work.

"We found them."

XXX

Dudley Dursley knew that this day would come eventually. His father hadn't been a pleasant or nice man, and his mother certainly wasn't kind to any person that she or others deemed 'abnormal'. At first, he didn't like it. He wished he had the wonderful and cool parents that all his friends wanted. The ones that were kind to everyone, and that no one could say 'no' to. But in time, his view changed. Being mean had brought his parents power. Had made his family influential. Who needed kindness when you had power? So, when those crackpot people who called themselves Preventers showed up on the doorstep of the 'safe house' that his mother had brought them to, he squared his rather sizeable shoulders and brought out the most intimidating face he could muster. It had always seemed to work the times he had seen that little freakish slave that his father and his father's co-worker owned before it had gotten itself sold off to that girly little blond C.E.O.. Whiner? Woener? Oh, that's right. Winner. Quatre Raberba Winner.

His father had always told him that one day _he_, Dudley Dursley would take over the W.E.I., and now he intended to use what they wanted as leverage to get what he wanted. What his promised him before he had died.

Ownership of the largest company in all of the Earthsphere and maybe even the colonies.

He wouldn't free that stupid little slave until it happened. And it _would_ happen. His mother would make sure of it. After all, it was her plan.

Then again, who knew? After all, they had never met the Gundam Pilots.

**Hey! Hehe, so I just looked back at chapter nine A/N, and I realized that while I touched on the subject of my finishing the GW series, I actually forgot to name the site (How embarrassing!)! It is called www . watchcartoononline . com . Sorry! Anyhoo, my sincerest apologies for the super long time I took to update. My dad decided that I was too hooked onto fanfiction and took away my laptop for two whole weeks. I was scrambling to finish typing this-I only got it back yesterday! But that **_**was**_** sort of a good thing- I found a series by **_**Laurell K Hamilton **_**called ****Anita Blake Vampire Hunter ****I only read the first book (Guilty Pleasures) so far, but it is absolutely amazing and I am dying for more! (It has, like, 20 books in the series-no joke!) **

**A huge thanks to both Mighty-Huntress and Storylistener (they helped me out with a little problem with naming the darn site up there before I re-posted this story. I got yelled at by the website! Can you believe it? So mean…anyways, I think I solved the problem. If not, then I am super dumb, and everyone can ignore me…as long as they still review :) As always; Criticism will be smiled at, Flames will be scoffed at, and this website will **_**definitely **_**be snarled at.**

**Reviews are nice.**

**Ciao! **

**Hades27**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**By Hades27**

**Rated; M**

**Disclaimer: Do not own anything. Still wishing I could, though…**

**Warnings; none this chapter. All general things stated in Chapter 1**

"Dursley!"

Wufei flicked his eyes up when the self-proclaimed Shinigami once again growled out the fat man's last name as if it were the foulest of curses. The violet eyes met his and his brother growled out an answer to his unspoken question.

"The Durlsey's refuse to free Harry until Quatre hands over the position of C.E.O. of the Winner Enterprises."

Wufei blinked. Well, that would never happen. W.E.I. was too important to hand over. Both sentimentally and strategically. "What will Quatre do?"

Duo bared his teeth in a feral grin, his beautiful eyes darkening into something more terrifying. "I'm sure we can figure something out."

A low scoff sounded off to their right and the aforementioned Winner came stalking into view, his silent auburn haired shadow gliding at his side.

"Intimidating or persuasive?" Wufei questioned mildly, trying his hardest to look not in the least affected by the bloodthirsty Zero look in Quatre's eyes.

"I find that those two can often go hand in hand, my friend."

Despite himself, Wufei shivered.

XXX

Harry could hardly restrain himself from bouncing in his seat with excitement. The only thing that seemed to keep him from bouncing straight out of the soft leather surface was the firm hand on his shoulder that stayed his momentum and forced him to keep his bottom planted in his seat.

"No matter how eager you are, we will still be arriving at the same time. The clock will not speed up for you."

Harry almost didn't catch himself before he rolled his eyes. That line had been spoken at least five times already as they were going to the Earthsphere Preventers Headquarters. Normally, the tall buildings of the city and even taller sky that stretched above them as far as the eye could see would have snatched his attention as any scenery outside would, but this ride was not normal at all-a fact that was proven with the small cat perched on his shoulder, bat like ears flickering back and forth to catch as many noises as possible.

Flit was accompanying them for both his soothing furry presence and his protective nature. One which he had proved when Rashid had gotten too close to a sleeping Harry. The large man was now sporting several reddened scratches on his face, shoulders, and arms. Though Harry was not completely convinced of his place in the odd family he was a part of, he couldn't stop the excitement that came to him. Duo, Wufei, and Quatre were supposed to be meeting them at the Headquarters with the two remaining Dursleys in custody, and then with a little bit of luck, Harry would be free from the abomination that was around his neck.

A light squeeze to his unoccupied shoulder drew his attention back to the man sitting next to him. "Take a deep breath, Green Eyes." Trowa ordered firmly, but not in any way unkindly. "Relax. The Headquarters is not going anywhere."

Harry dutifully nodded, but couldn't seem to do what his Master had asked until a soft, wet snout pushed against his forehead, snuffling softly and causing him to giggle quietly, nudging Flit away with a fond hand. The cat sneezed imperiously-if one could do such a thing; Flit had managed, anyway-and marched down his arm to plop himself snootily in the auburn haired man's lap. A slight, rare smile curved the stoic pilot's lips upward and one slender hand rose to gently run along the silky back that arched into the soft touch.

"Traitor." Harry murmured loud enough for the other green eyed male and the feline on his lap to hear. Both lips and fur rose.

"We are here."

The three simple words had Harry immediately tensing up as he stared with widened eyes at the impressive Preventer's Headquarters. The building was made of a strange dull grey material that he couldn't identify, but it was the blond teen that stood in front of the double doors that caught his immediate attention. Truly, Quatre Raberba Winner managed to look and be imposing, seeming to tower over any man who accidentally got in his way even with his short stature. He was scowling viciously at anyone-Preventer or civilian-who dared come near. Harry hadn't seen Quatre's dangerous side too often, but it was in that moment that he was reminded that his Master was a Gundam Pilot.

"Winner looks unhappy." Zechs observed nonchalantly.

"It is quite possible that the Dursleys are not cooperating. A little more persuasion might have been necessary." Heero droned his wary eyes the only thing betraying his cautiousness.

Concern filled Harry's mind as he switched his gaze back to Trowa and tugged lightly on his soft shirt. The auburn haired teen placed a calming hand on the top of his head without glancing from his ruffled lover. "Be calm, Little One. We will get you out of that thing no matter what it takes. Of that, I promise you."

Looking up into the serious face of Trowa, Harry allowed himself to believe the man, not only as Trowa Barton, Pilot 03 of the Heavyarms, but as simply Trowa, his Master and-dare he say it?- his friend.

XXX

The walk up to the interrogation room was full of stress filled silence, Quatre's walk unusually tense and jerky as he guided them in front of a one-way mirror. Inside was a sight that made Harry tremble in fear.

As usual, the interrogation room was bare of any furnature, bar the sturdy metal table in the center and thee uncomfortable looking chairs. One held the resident braided baka as he chattered his merry way along, his back to the window. Facing them as he leaned against the far wall was none other than Wufei, his gaze stern and unsympathetic. But it was the two people in front of him that made Harry shake.

Dudley and Petunia Dursley, his old Master's family, were sitting stiff backed and stone faced across from the braided Preventer agent.

"Easy there, Green Eyes." Quatre whispered in his ear, and it was only then that he realized that his entire body was vibrating his fear.

"Master." He pleaded softly, his mind racing around in circles like a frightened mouse before a large cat pounces upon it. Instantly one of the blonds' strong hands rested itself reassuringly on his shoulder, drawing him closer against the Sandrock pilot.

"They won't touch you, Little One. You are safe with us, just stay close and we will protect you."

Harry sniffled lightly, pressing closer to his Master and reveling in the warmth of the body beside him that lent him some of Quatre's unwavering strength.

"…Freak." Petunia was saying angrily "owning a slave is completely legal in some areas. We cannot be charged with the way we treated him."

Duo paused in his nonsensical chatter, his braid swinging gently as he shifted in his seat. "Treated him?" he asked airily, as if he didn't particularly care if he got and answer or not. "I didn't know there was a wrong way to treat some possessions."

Dudley Dursley nodded vigorously, the fat on his chin jiggling along with him. "Exactly! You can't get arrested for mishandlement of your own property." He sounded incredibly confident for one still seated in the cold room.

Duo hmmed before he leaned before conspiratorially, his voice pitched low and only somewhat conversational. "But it _is _illegal to abuse children, Dursley."

Dudley's face turned an alarmingly familiar shade of puce. "But he is a slave. He is property."

Harry jumped as Wufei glided over to the table and slammed his hands down, snarling with great vehemence. "But his heart beats! His flesh tears and he bleeds red. He can speak and he has a brain! He walks, and he feels emotions! Tell me, you disgusting pig, what of those is not human?"

Faced with the passionate rage of Wufei, and the cold frozen eyes of Duo, the Dursleys didn't last long until they were slouching as far as they could into their seats. Even Harry was clutching Quatre's hand tightly, though he knew without a doubt that the two pilots' anger was not directed at him.

"Cowards." Wufei commented softly, almost as if he was disappointed in the two Dursleys. "Can you not even take blame when it is so rightly deserved? Your ancestors would be ashamed."

Petunia seemed to gather what courage she had and sniffed disdainfully, looking not imperial, but instead like she knew she had just sentenced herself to a long and painful death. "Our ancestors are long since dead and buried. Why should we care what they think?"

Beside Harry, his Master winced imperceptibly, and in the interrogation room he could hear Duo mutter softly 'whoa, lady. _Bad_ idea."

But everyone's eyes were on Wufei. His face had turned into a mask so emotionless, so cold that Harry found himself taking a step back in fright. Funny, he seemed to be doing that quite often today.

"Easy there, Harry. Wufei would never harm you. He is your nii-san, he loves you. Listen to me. Green Eyes." Heero's soothing voice rumbled in his ear, and that along with the deep purring and snuffling of Flit, who was delicately deposited on his shoulder by Trowa. He lifted the furry kitten off his shoulder and cradled him close to his chest, cuddling him like a stuffed bear. Flit, ever the unshakeable one, growled his displeasure, causing Harry to pause, glancing down at the kitten in surprise. Was his voice deeper? And now that he thought of it, his body seemed longer and heavier than when he had first purchased the Kitten at the pet store. Big grey-blue eyes stared up at him piteously as his small mouth letting out another disgruntled mewl and his huge ears flickered in irritation. Harry giggled and kissed the cat on his wet nose. Much to his amusement, Flit pulled away and sneezed, small head bobbing forward like a stork.

Caught up in his quiet, tranquil world, Harry didn't see the hand until it landed on his shoulder. Jumping, he whirled about, his green eyes no doubt wide in fright. Zech backed off, raising his hands in the air.

"Easy there, Kitten. I was simply going to bring you inside."

Harry stared up at him without comprehending and the silver haired pilot smiled at him with fondness. "The Dursleys have agreed to free you."

Disbelief filled Harry's chest and spilled out in bubbling waves. "T-truly? Truly, Master Zechs?"

The former Tallgeese Pilot tsked in mock disappointment. "Come now, Harry. Once that collar is off, you never have to use that word again."

A giddy grin almost split his face, but it faded rather quickly as a terrible, terrible thought struck him.

"Harry? Little one, what is it? Blue eyes hovered over his own, filled with concern.

"What is wrong, Green eyes?" Trowa, this time.

Different voices joined them; all attempting to coax Harry out of is silence. It wasn't until two warm, secure arms wrapped around his body, pressing him so tightly to a firm chest it was almost painful that he snapped out of it. The smell of spices , ink, and something like…metal oils? filled Harry's nostrils. Wufei.

Warm breath ghosted across his face, smelling of cinnamon and vanilla. "Baka," Wufei chastised gently, burying his nose in Harry's thick silky locks. "You are family, no matter if that collar is on or off."

"But-" Harry was cut off when the arms squeezed even tighter.

"No, otouto. You are ours. The papers are finalized, Harris Solomon Barton-Yuy. You are _ours_. We will _never_ let you go."

Harry stared up into the dark eyes of the Chinese teen. Adoption papers? When did they get those…those…_things?_ Unbelievable. Wasn't that for parents who wanted a son or daughter? Did this mean that they were actually…family? "Truly?" He breathed, astonishment and not a small amount of disbelief filling him.

"Truly." Wufie confirmed. "You are family."

"And the sooner you accept that the easier your life will be, Kitten. Une-baby faxed the finalized custody and adoption papers to us this morning." Duo's cheerful voice drew Harry away from Wufei's unfathomable eyes and over to his new…brother? Father? He didn't know. Family. Following the other braided teen was none other than Dudley Dursley himself. His pudgy face was red with anger and his squinty blue eyes were trained angrily on his old slave.

"Nii-san." He whispered desperately.

Wufei tightened his strong arms around Harry-_Harris_**(1).** "In only a couple of seconds you will be free, and Dursley will be thrown into jail Just hang on until then, little brother." The Nataku Pilot's voice was warm and soothing in Harris' ear.

Duo prodded Dudley's back, pushing him forward none too gently.

"C'mon, Dursley. We had a deal. Free him and I won't arrest your ma. Think of it as a get outta free jail card from me."

Deep, all consuming hatred burned in the fiery depths of Dudley's pale eyes, but he still walked forward a couple of steps before stopping and clearing his throat and growling out; "I, Vernon Eustace Chance Dursley, do so declare that H-Harris Solomon Barton-Yuy, formerly known as Harry James Potter, to be a Free Man, effective immediately."

The silver collar around Harris' neck gave a thick shudder, its surface burning with unbearable heat, so much so that he cried out, writhing as his flesh began to burn.

Frantic shouting filled the air.

"What's happening? Dursley! Get it off."

"Harris? Harris, keep still. Don't move, allright? You will just push it further into your neck."

"I don't know! My dad said something about it having…lifetime Warranty? Or something like that, at least."

"Get it off or your mother will pay the-"

"I, Vernon Dursley _demand_ for Harris Barton-Yuy's freedom!" Dudley's voice drowned out all the others in its frantic rage.

The ringlet of silver gave one last valiant shudder before it clicked resentfully and fell to the ground in several battered pieces. Instantly there were three pairs of hands on him, tilting his head to assess the damage done to his throbbing neck.

"The fuck?" Duo's confused mutter carried throughout the abrupt silence.

"It is already scarred over." Quatre murmured, his cool fingers tracing away the last of the lingering pain. Quickly Harris glanced to his side where the glass of the interrogation window stood and he was barely able to make out his frame. But the one thing that stood out was the starkly white scar, thick and ropey as it wrapped around the lower part of his neck.

"A side effect of forceful removal of a long-lasting collar. No other consequences- of the physical quality, at least." Dudley's voice was hoarse from all of the shouting he put it through. Harry always remembered him as a shouter. Sometimes he could go on for hours without stopping.

"Here."

A cool, silky cloth slid around his neck to conseal the horrific scar,tying off into a small knot at the hollow of his throat. Once of Quatre's handkerchiefs, then. Green, to match his eyes. A sudden fondness for his Mas-for his old master welled up inside Harris, and for some reason the blonde's kind blue eyes seemed to gain a sheen of tears to them, but the moment passed quickly, and Harris dipped his head. "Thank you, Master." Even if he could think of Quatre as simply Quatre inside his mind, he had been calling everyone either Master or Mistress for the entire duration of his life, and the fact that he had just been freed seemed to enhance his natural instinct to continue calling them Master for some odd reason.

He almost expected the pale finger that tapped his nose gently. "No, Harris. Just Quatre. Only Quatre. Can you say it for me?"

Again, Harris had expected the request, so as the young Winner was talking, he had been going over the simple line in his mind, trying to coax it from his brain to his tongue. "M-" He cut himself off at Quatre's tsk and started over. "Q-Quatre?"

Wufei's arms, which hadn't left him even then, pressed him closer to the strong chest.

"Why Barton-Yuy, M-M." He paused and licked his lips in frustration. "Heero is with D-Duo, isn't he?"

Quatre's delighted laugh tinkled all around them like the sweetest sounding of chimes, and he seemed to be refraining himself from going over and hugging the life out of him. Mainly, Harris suspected, because of Wufei.

"Simply because our significant others are our Partners for when we work as Preventers, and if one…perishes on a mission, the other one most likely will not last much longer, seeing that the danger is always great on any mission that we are sent on. Having Heero and Trowa adopt you ensures that even if one dies, you will still have a remaining guardian."

Harris didn't allow his mind to even consider the possibility that any of them even had the slightest chance of dying. Instead, he pointed to the remnants of the collar, now only a dusty silver ash. However, before he could even open his mouth, an angry voice cut him off.

"What are you doing? Let her go!"

Petunia Dursley was being dragged out of the interrogation room, handcuffs clamped onto her bony wrists.

"Your mother is being charged with child abuse, child neglect, thievery of the money of one Harry Potter, and a handful of other things. Do not worry. She might have probation in fifty years or so. _You_, on the other hand, will not. Wake up, kid. You break the law, you suffer the consequences. Did you really think that you could even _try_ to screw over Quatre Raberba Winner and live to tell the tale?" Zechs scoffed incredulously from beside the large teen.

Wide blue eyes turned to the elder braided teen, fury etched across his face. "You _lied!_ You said that she wouldn't be arrested!"

Duo hissed like a dangerously furious cat, spitting out, "I _never _lie! I simply said that _I _wouldn't arrest you. I didn't say shit about anyone else."

Zechs turned back to the Dursleys. "Dudley Dursley, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent…"

Harry tuned out Zechs as he whispered to the other five. "How did it do that?"

Heero shook his head. "I cannot explain."

"I, however, can."

All of them whirled about to face the newcomer, guns drawn in the same instant. Those scars would give anyone a fright. Did he have part of his _nose_ missing?

XXX

"Albus. We have found the boy."

Dumbledore's lips curled into a slight smirk, eyes glittering with a malicious intent.

"Bring him in."

**As the story said, the adoption papers were finalized, so Harry is officially Harris. I will be calling him this from now on. Those who don't like it, I am sorry. Deal with it. :) **

**A/N: Hello! I am truly sorry for the time that I took to update. I have no excuses and all I can do is express my deepest regret. Anyways, I hope that I will never try to take that long next time. Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, the collar is finally off, yay! The plot thickens…on a brighter note, I just rescued two Bengal cats! Their names are Gretzy and Shorty and they are the cutest things ever. Chapter 12 will hopefully be posted within the next three weeks. As always; Criticism will be smiled at, Flames will be scoffed at, and this website will be snarled at.**

**Reviews are nice.**

**Ciao! **

**Hades27**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**By Hades27**

**Rated; M**

**Disclaimer: Do not own anything. But it would be a nice Christmas present, wouldn't it?**

**Warnings; none this chapter. All general things stated in Chapter 1**

Everyone bleeds.

Harris pondered the stray thought that had flitted through his mind after he had gone crashing down to the floors, taking a…something, of glass with him. The glass object had been tossed at him by the strange man, and with years of catching many types of things carelessly thrown at him by his old master's, Harris had automatically snatched the thing out of the air. It was round and smooth, almost like a paperweight. The thing had warmed slightly in his grasp, glowing a soft blue that had put him on edge. Duo must have seen it, for the violet eyed teen had let out an alarmed shout and grabbed his arm not a second too soon. Just a moment later a hook seemed to latch itself around his navel and yanked him away. It had dumped him in an undignified heap on the floor, shattering the orb on contact. The slivers had bounced off of the…stone floor? and had embedded themselves into his arm.

"…is. Harris…Harris!"

Harris jerked into a sitting position, nearly banging his head against Duo's own.

"Easy there, kitten." Duo murmured, easing a hand under his elbow and lifting the injured arm to inspect the tiny cuts.

Crouching around them were the other pilots, all with their guns trained on the strongly scarred stranger and an old man dressed in a strange looking dress. The scarred man flicked his eyes over the guns that were held familiarly in the five pilot's hands, drinking in the ease of their stances and the trust that they held in each other. After a moment of a silent standoff, he grunted with seeming approval, stumping over to where the old man sat behind a great oak desk.

Even though the man seemed relaxed, Harris had the strangest of feelings that he was only seconds away from drawing a weapon-like Wufei was when Duo pulled a prank that went too far, except this was much more serious.

"Who are you?" Heero's voice was low and intimidating, showing no emotion save for an unwavering resolution to do his job-which was first and foremost protecting Harris and getting all of them out of the rather unsavory situation that they were in.

The old man simply beamed at them before turning to address Harris himself.

"Harry, my boy. I am so pleased to see you safe and sound once again."

A tinge of confusion seeped into the fear that Harris already felt. Quatre seemed to sense it, as he shifted his weight minutely, turning his body slightly to angle towards the place where he and Duo sat. Well, He sat. The self-proclaimed God of Death crouched alertly, one hand hovering by the butt of his gun.

"Who are you?" Heero repeated, his arms unwavering as they continued to hold his weapon with a precision that must have taken much of his 'perfect soldier' training.

This time the old man turned his blue eyed gaze to the chocolate-haired teen. "Why, I am Albus Dumbledore. Headmaster of this prestigious school." He waved his arm in a grand gesture and appeared to be waiting for a response. After a few minutes of bemused silence, Duo snorted quietly, muttering insolently "we just got kidnapped by a Principal? We must be losing our touch."

The scarred man snorted at that. "Don't be so sure, boy. It was damned hard to get to you even with magic."

Wufei scoffed. "There is no such thing as magic, fool."

The scarred man bristled. "Watch who you are calling a fool, _child_. I've seen more than your tiny brains can even imagine."

Unlike the man, none of Harris' family reacted in any way, choosing instead to simply turn their unnerving eyes upon the man. He got the feeling that the strange man didn't spook easily, but after five minutes of their soul-penetrating gazes, even the man shifted in unease. Only then did hero speak up, indifferently ignoring the scarred man's outburst.

"What is your purpose of bringing us here?"

Dumbledore beamed as if the Prussian-eyed teen had just fulfilled his highest expectations, but as Harris looked into the Headmaster's blue eyes, he had to suppress a shiver at the maliciousness that he saw in them. If the eyes were the window to the soul, then Harris never wanted to see the Headmaster's revealed in full. The simple thought that the teacher of children could be so dangerous and harmful was…frightening.

And with that thought plaguing him, what the old man said next terrified him.

"Why, I brought you here for Mister Potter, of course." He held up a slip of paper. "The Ministry has given me permission to bring young Harry Potter to this school to enrich his education in magic."

As if to prove his point, Dumbledore lifted up an elaborately carved stick from the top of his desk and gave it a small, almost dismissive flick. Immediately the previously unnoticed (well, at least unnoticed by Harris) window banged shut and locked itself.

Six spines stiffened, though Harris's own seemed to be getting limper as shock and fear began to settle within the depths of his mind. Pressure seemed to be building on is arm, coiling around the wound as if the very air could come alive at the tension that was reaching it's peak in the room. Harris glanced down at the offended limb and was vaguely surprised to find a black piece of cloth wrapped tightly about it. A very small, rational part of his mind noted that it must have been the cause of the pressure, as air coming alive was utterly ridiculous. His irrational part told it to shut up.

Duo's lips hovered over is ear, minty breath ghosting soothingly across his face as he spoke in a gentle murmur. "Easy there, Kitten. Nothing will happen to you, all right? We won't let anything happen."

The pet name jolted Harris back into awareness as he glanced about frantically.

"Har? What's wrong?"

"F-Flit." Harris stuttered. "Where is he?"

Duo's eyes shuttered in resignation, but he said nothing save for a quick "We will find him later, Green-Eyes."

"…wizard." Dumbledore was explaining to the others, completely unaware of the whispered conversation that had taken place on the cold stone floor. "The collar that his caretakers had placed on him must have hidden his magical signature, somehow. Otherwise I would have been able to find him eventually.

The thought that his old master's had actually helped him, even unwittingly, was sickening to Harris.

"I have already taken time to acquire the wand that is destined for young Harry." The old man held up a second stick and shot it a fond, triumphant glance. "Holly and Phoenix feather. Brother wand to the Lord Voldmort-the terrorist that killed his parents-and a very lethal weapon, in the right hands."

The six pilots exchanged covert looks, using small flicks of their fingers and minute shifting of their bodies to send small messages to their comrades, a feat only manadged by the long hears and battles that they had been through together. They had communicated like that before, but the movements were so unconscious, so natural that Harris hadn't taken the time to note the many conversations that he had missed. Now though, as he sat on the cold stone floor of the unknown school, he could safely say that he wished he could understand what they were saying. Judging by what he learned from their different habits, the pilots were no doubt decvising a plan to obtain the supposedly dangerous stick of wood. Beyond that, however, Harris didn't know.

"You cannot prove that magic exists." Wufei said flatly as he denied any suggestion that the impossible was in fact possible.

The strange man-the one whom they still didn't know the mane of-brought out his own stick. "A demonstration, then?"

Duo's strong arms had to restrain Harris' struggles when the man pointed his stick at Wufei. Immediately five guns went off, bullets speeding towards the man. Yet, as fast as they were, something was faster. A huge black blur sped across the room and tackled the man to the ground.

"Alastor!" Dumbledore's startled cry unwittingly revealed the man's name.

The man-Alastor, didn't answer. He seemed to be too cautious with the massive jaws that were lined with sharp, lethal teeth just inches from his vulnerable throat to answer. The black body was strangly familiar, almost as if it were a larger version of-

"Flit?" His startled, plaintive question drew the headmaster's and 'Alastor's attention to him, but the eyes of the pilots all turned contemplatively to the massive body that was currently crushing the scarred man.

Familiar blue-grey eyes looked up at them, shimmering with the glistening ice of glaciers. The soft tufts of fur that usually resided around and on top of Flit's ears and the tip of his tail were replaced by lethal looking, green-tinged spikes. The fur that had coated his kitten's body in a silky sheen remained mostly unchanged, though Harris imagined that if he reached out a hand Flit's fur would have a metallic feel to it, or some other hardened material to protect the body that was now a size of a panther.

"Good boy, Flit."

Both Dumbledore and Alastor cholked at Trowa's quiet praise, thought his fellow pilots simply looked amused-even Heero's lips twitched minutely.

"Mister Potter!" Dumbledore's voice was scolding, as though he had a right to control anything in Harris' life. "It is against the law to own a Hellcat."

Shock jolted through him, stilling his body and freezing his mind. Hellcat? He glanced at the deadly spikes and massive fangs. Well, if magic was real, then he supposed that his kitten could be a dangerous beast from the underworld. Though he would probably have to consider being nicer to his pet…

"Well Trowa," Duo murmured wryly, "I guess you can stop searching for Flit's breed."

"Mister Potter, if your …pet, even s_cratches_ Alastor, I will have legal rights to execute it, and Alastor will be dead from its poison. You don't want that, now do you?"

Harris didn't really like that patronizing tone, but his ire was overridden by the fear that spiked through him, frantic eyes turning to meet the soothing violet ones of the Shinigami.

"Go on, little one."

Harris wasn't quite sure what the Deathscythe pilot meant. Did he mean to call Flit back, or let him slay the man where he lay? He tugged on his braid in frustration.

"Flit." He finally called out, attempting to control the waver that laced his voice. "Come here."

The large Flit was just as independent as the small one. With an imperious flick of his spiked tail, the hellcat stepped away from the man's fallen body and sauntered over to Harris's side. Much to his surprise, his kitten shrunk as he walked, and by the time Harris could reach out and pick him up, Flit was his normal size once more, small and innocent-looking. Well, as innocent as the mischievous cat could be. Oversized paws batted playfully at the silky handkerchief that was bound around Harris's neck.

"Hush Flit," he murmured softly. "I am trying to listen."

But there was nothing for Harris to listen to. The pilots were once again conversing rapidly in their own language, seeming to be having an argument; though this time they were making no attempts to hide their fluid movements from the two strangers. Finally, after what seemed like hours, they all turned back to the silent men.

Quatre stepped forward, looking for all the world like a regular young man-until, that is, one looked into his eyes. The usually soft blue gaze was hard and calculating. An unforgiving businessman-or a Gundam pilot who just had someone attempt to screw them over. In other words?

Pissed. Off.

And Harris knew that a pissed off Gundam Pilot was not a good thing for the people who caused such ire.

"We are terribly sorry, mister Dumbledore," Quatre said sweetly, deliberately refusing to acknowledge the old man's Headmaster status. "But we will have to decline your polite offer. As _pleasant_ as this visit has been, we simply do not wish to part with him so soon. Surly you can understand how terrible it is to part with one you consider your family?"

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed dangerously as he completely abandoned the remainder of his grandfatherly façade. "It was not a request, boy."

Quatre, small and innocent Quatre seemed to loom over the old man, the very air about them turning so cold it seemed to create a layer of frost on the surfaces in the room-no doubt Dumbledore's attempt at intimidation, but Quatre seemed to be unaffected as he hissed; "Are you quite certain? Attempting to force us to do anything against our wishes will have…unsavory consequences."

Alastor slumped forward from his position next to the Headmaster. "I would watch your tongue if I were you, laddie."

"And I would warn you not to threaten one whom you do not know." Quatre countered sharply.

The scarred man opened his mouth, but at that moment Dumbledore thundered "_Enough_!"

Everyone turned towards him, and the old man gave a strained smile. "Thank you. Now, Mister Potter will be staying here, as the Ministry granted, and you, young gentlemen, will-"

"But there is a flaw in your plans, old fool." Wufei interrupted, stalking closer to Harris' side and assisting both him and Duo up. Truth be told, Harris hadn't even realized that they were still on the floor until then.

Dumbledore growled slightly when the voice of Nataku's pilot interrupted him, but allowed Wufei to continue with an almost convincing beguine smile. "And what is that, Mr…"

Wufei shot the old man a lofty look, as though he wasn't worthy of his consideration.

"05. This child is not Harry Potter."

Dumbledore looked stunned. "Excuse me?"

Wufei snorted delicately. "Clean out your ears, old man. This is not Harry Potter. Your 'permission' is for you to take Harry potter to your school, but this boy is not him. So I repeat; You. Cannot. Have. Him."

"Oh?" Dumbledore challenged, a flinty look in his eyes, "Then who is he?"

Quatre shook his head. "You cannot trick us into telling you, old man. Accept the fact that you lost this round."

The skin around Dumbledore's eyes tightened. "I do not believe that you are correct, boy. You will not be granted permission to leave." Dumbledore pointed his wand at the six pilots with a clear intent to harm. Harris didn't have time to wonder why the six men were not moving before the old man was shouting a strange word that sounded suspiciously like…Latin?

"Obliviate!"

Fierce loyalty along with an emotion that Harris couldn't identify compelled him to wrestle free of Duo's literally frozen grip and dive across the desk to tackle the old man to the floor, wrestling both sticks of wood from the surprisingly strong grasp. As he fell, something hard struck the back of his head, forcefully shoving him into the black oblivion of unconsciousness.

XXX

Harris woke staring up at an unfamiliar pair of concerned purple eyes.

"Harris? Are you all right?"

Alarm shot through him at the unfamiliar voice. Where was he?

"Calm down, little one. I ain't gonna hurt you."

Harris was not reassured in the least. "Who are you?" He stuttered, his eyes wide in fright. "And what's wrong with your eyes?"

Those brilliant purple eyes flickered in confusion before they lit up in understanding. "Ah!" The purple-eyed teen exclaimed before taking out a familiar looking stick and flicking it dramatically across his eyes. Fascinated, Harris watched as they changed from the violent purple to a brilliant molten gold, complementing his strawberry blond hair that was mussed up in a casual disarray. His white button up shirt was rolled up to his elbows and was tucked into the black slacks that hung off of a trim waist. No shoes or socks adorned his feet. The strange teen swept him an elaborate bow.

"Octavian Cross, at your service." He winked impishly, "but you can call me Tic."

Harris blinked at the offered hand that was stretched out in front of him. He wanted to ask where he was, but a more important question was at the forefront of his mind. "Where is my family?"

Tic gave a short bark of a laugh, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "Right, about that." He let out another nervous laugh, "They are here, don't worry, but a- well, perhaps I should start at the beginning. Tell me, have you ever heard of werewolves?"

Without his permission, Harris's jaw dropped.

XXX

**A/N; Hehe, did I say I would update in three weeks?...right. Well in my defense, math is my worst subject. But seriously, I'm sorry! I will no longer try to predict how long it will take me to update, since I have always been wrong in my estimations. Rest assured, though, that I will **_**NEVER**_** abandon this fic and I will always update when I find the time. I am terribly sorry to leave it off in a cliffhanger, but it seemed like a good place to stop. **

**Anyhoo, for those of you that feel that I am going too fast with Harris's familiarity with the pilots, I apologize. I have never had any experience with abused children. I had Harris latch onto the pilots because they were the first people that had truly shown him any kindness and I thought it might be natural that he grows attached to the first people to actually act in his best interest. However, I will try to slow it down or have him relapse or something. Not trying to snap here! I am extremely grateful of all constructive criticism! **

**Aaaaand always; Criticism will be smiled at, Flames will be scoffed at, and this website will be snarled at. Merry (early) Christmas!**

**Reviews are nice.**

**Ciao! **

**Hades27**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**By Hades27**

**Rated; M**

**Disclaimer: Yeah…no. I really don't own anything. Be cool if I did, though.**

**Warnings; none this chapter. All general things stated in Chapter 1**

"You're a werewolf?"

Tic grinned, showing off perfectly pearly white teeth. "Yup. Kinda funny that a wolf like me turns into a tiny little bug."

Harris's lips twitched slightly. "An…animagus, right? That is what those are called?"

"Yup." Tic popped his lips on the 'p' as he flung himself into the couch that was situated opposite of the one Harris was resting on.

"Still," Tic continued, "it can be pretty handy. Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to portkey you guys out. That was the contacts I banished. Those thing really do come in handy. Oh! Speaking of which, my father has offered both you and your buddies a place here until that crazy Headmaster stops looking for you."

Harris couldn't meet those earnest golden eyes. "My m-er, my brothers will have to talk to him."

Harris wished they could be there with him now…

"Already done. They have graciously accepted."

They both turned at the deep voice of a newcomer.

"Greetings, Harris Barton-Yuy. It is indeed a pleasure to meet you."

Harris couldn't help but stare at the new arrival. Eyes so red they were like freshly spilled blood shone from a soft mocha colored face, making the skin seem darker than it truly was at first glance. His hair, glistening and soft-looking, fell like the finest of Quatre's silk down to his shoulders. He was taller than both Harris and Tic, and had a lean build. He walked with the grace and poise of a cat, much unlike Tic's own preditorial stalk.

And two white fangs flashed when he spoke.

"Ah! Sahli! How nice of you to join us." Tic exclaimed, grinning widely at the newcomer.

"As eager as always, brother." The stranger murmured with a certain dryness to his tone. In fact, everything that seemed to do with…Sahli, was quiet; his words, the opening of the door, and his soft almost nonexistent steps.

"Harris, meet Sahliden Cross; my adoptive brother. Actually," Tic's brow furrowed, "we're both adopted. He doesn't have any blood children. How could he? I don't know how Garret would do it with a human. I mean, he-"

"Octavian!" Even Sahli's scold was quiet, though no less dangerous than a shout.

Remarkably, Tic immediately closed his mouth-even if he did shoot the fanged teen a cheeky grin.

"Forgive him." Sahli told him, seating himself stiffly beside his brother. "Octavian does not know when to still his mouth."

Tic didn't even have the grace to look ashamed as he turned and propped his bare feet up into Sahli's lap. "And you love me anyways." He gave another insolent grin.

Sahli seemed to ignore both the light jibe and the tanned feet resting on his cloth-covered knees. Instead, he turned his red gaze to Harris.

"My father and your brothers will be here momentarily. Garrett is simply helping them get settled in. They have called their "Commander" and she has agreed to permit you to stay here."

Confusion flitted through Harris's mind at that. "But why must we stay here? We have other places to go, and my b-brothers don't like staying with strangers."

The crimson eyes turned solemn and distant. "Albus Dumbledore has insisted upon dragging you into his war. He will find you again, and when he does, you will not escape so easily. If you live here you will be sheltered from his manipulations." The teen hesitated for a breath, then continued. "Before the war, there was a man called Tom Riddle. He had great aspirations to help change the system of the wizarding world-he understood just how corrupt it had become. Years, he worked his way up the political ladder. With the help of his adoptive sister and his wife, Rose Evans, he started to recreate the world." The red eyes were cast downwards in apparent sadness. "Jealous of his power, Dumbledore painted Tom as the one who was corrupt, mad with power and determined to kill all of those different from him and his followers. At first, Tom was determined to ignore the old man and continue on with his quest to become the Headmaster of the prestigious school of Hogwarts. The school in which Dumbledore now commands."

Sahli paused, licking his lips, and Tic took up the story, glancing only for a brief moment at Harris before he gazed off into space as if he were trying to remember lessons long learned.

"Unfortunately for Tom, the old man is much more devious than he appears. Late one night, Dumbledore swept into the Hotel in which Tom's young wife was staying-she was on vacation in Italy at the time…

_"Rose…"_

_ Rosemarie Evans giggled at her husband, her cheeks tinged the color of her namesake and her eyes alight in laughter. "Go, Tom. I'll be fine."_

_ Her husband hesitated, bless his heart. Eyes cast down, he paused in the door. "Are you certain, love? I had thought tonight would be perfect for us."_

_ Love swelled in her heart as she gazed at his uncertain face. For a moment, she was tempted to say don't go, to plead with him to stay here with her. They had planned this night out for so long…But her moment of selfishness past, and she was once again inclined to urge him to leave. With a sigh, she padded over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and sighing when she was embraced in return._

_ "Go on, Thomas." She murmured, quivering when he bent down and swept his nose against the side of her neck. He always claimed that she smelled of roses, just like her name._

_ "I can stay here." He protested, but she gently pushed him away, giving him a small grin._

_ "We can wait to try for a child, Tom." She said firmly, even if her heart screamed inside her that she wanted a child _now._ "The minister, however, can't. Go now! He owled you for a reason. Maybe he even wants to give you position of Headmaster!"_

_ He smiled gently at her and she felt her insides quiver at the sight. "Tomorrow then, love. Enjoy your vacation-however short it will be!"_

_ She gave him one last, sweet kiss before turning away. "Go on then," she ordered in mock haughtiness. "I expect you to be back in no more than twenty-four hours."_

_ He smirked and bowed to her extravagantly. "Anything you wish, your highness."_

_ She sniffed. "Anything?"_

_ "Anything."_

_ "Then go, and I will tell you my deepest wish when you return."_

_ He gave her another grin and said softly "Anything you wish."_

_ And then he left._

_ She was dead when he returned._

"Dumbledore murdered her." Tic said sagely. "Tom had been devastated. At first, he didn't seem any different than before, but after naught but two months, changes could be seen. Tom, or Lord Voldemort as he called himself, began to kill without mercy. He was driven mad by his beloved wife's death. Years went by without any reprise, and many of his followers left while they could- those who were too slow to leave became bound to his will by a tattoo called the Dark Mark. His memory seemed to be lost within the chaotic mess that had become his mind, even prompting him to kill his sister-in-law and her family. After trying and failing to bring her brother to rights, his other sister-the adopted one- fled to the muggle world, getting herself involved in the word there. She tried to find her lost nephew, of course, but she didn't know where to start looking. Her name has not been revealed to us, but we suspect that she has taken up the first name of her sister-in-laws mother, Susanne. At least, that is what Garrett thinks."

Harris's brows furrowed and his mind was stuck on only one thought, otherwise he might have asked just how Tic had found that much information. "Rose…Evans?"

Tic nodded, completely sober. "Your aunt from your mother's side. Deceased, of course."

"But that means that-"

"Yeah. Tom Riddle is your Uncle by marriage to your Aunt Rose."

Harris didn't need a mirror to know that he had gone completely white. Why must it be him? It seemed as if all of his blood relations hated him, and no one could protect him from them.

No one save for the pilots, and right now there was only one in particular…

"Heero." The word was a choked and desperate keen. "H-Heero!"

Tic's eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

Sahli was already out the door, leaving Harris to his despair and Tic to his confusion.

Time passed, though how much he did not know. The air seemed to be against him, refusing to fill his lungs and instead tightened viciously around his chest like ice forms around the trees in wintertime. But somehow the frost melted, turning into the warm blanket that children would wrap about themselves during the harsh weather. The warmth enveloped him and he curled into it. Slowly, the 'blanket' turned into arms, and the warm wind blowing gently across his face turned to soft breaths.

The Prussian eyed pilot did not utter a word as Harris sat still on his lap, simply keeping his silence and allowing Harris to battle is own internal war of confusion, frustration and fear. Yet in the end, the comfort of those strong arms and calloused palms and secure hold around him won out.

Yes, Heero would keep him safe.

XXX

Garrett was a centaur.

That fact had surprised Harris, for he hadn't known what one really was until the unusual creature had stepped into the room in which he sat. Half-horse, half-man, Harris had the feeling that Garrett was impressive even for his race, for he was as tall and untouchable as a mountain. According to Sahli, Garrett had rescued them from the depths of Azkaban prison, where they had been contained for nothing more than existing. 'Dark Creatures', they were called by none other than Albus Dumbledore. The two self-dubbed 'brothers' had convinced the olive-skinned centaur to open a small school designed to give all orphaned magical 'creatures' an education and a home. The stoic centaur had built a mansion which quickly doubled as an orphanage and a school. The very same mansion that Harris was in now.

"Your Uncle," the centaur explained matter-of-factly, "had been a very large part of the building process. He provided the funding and sent over some of his 'Death Eaters' to use their magic to cast protective wards-and 'creature' cannot without being thrown into Azkaban." The centaur seemed to age before his eyes. "And then poor Rose died."

Harris still didn't know what to make of the Dark Lord being his supposed uncle.

"Why does he want Harris?" Duo interrupted, tugging on his braid in frustration.

Garret shrugged his powerful shoulders, his muscles rippling over his bare back in an impressive wave. "He thinks that Harris has obtained a piece of his soul when he attempted to kill him."

"And did he?"

The centaur's chocolate brown eyes flicked over to study Harris. A spike of unease shivered through Harris when the answer came in a slow, almost contemplative nod. Two strong arms suddenly wrapped about his shoulders and pulled him close against Heero's body, muscles cording as they secured him fiercely against the 'Perfect Soldier'. The rest of the pilots all seemed to lean closer to him as well. For his part, Harris couldn't do anything except stand still. For Heero to show that much agitation was disconcerting to say the least.

"Will it harm him?"

They all tensed at Wufei's terse question, but Garret was quick to shake his head.

"No. If anything, it will protect him. Voldemort no doubt wishes to capture Harris and ensure his horcrux's safety. However…" He paused.

"However?" Quatre prompted gently.

"There is a possibility that his followers wish to capture Harris to the purpose of restoring the soul which Tom has lost."

"How?" Heero's voice allowed no room for failure to respond.

The centaur pursed his lips in thought. "You must understand that to create a horcrux, one must first commit a murder. To restore one's soul, the murderer must feel genuine remorse for the killings he made."

"Why would they wish to restore his soul? And how? No one can simply force another to feel remorse, or any kind of emotion. Killing him would be much easier."

They all winced at Wufei's blunt but true statement, but this time it was Sahli who chose to answer. "Because they believe that somewhere inside himself, Tom knows that Rose would never wish for him to lead the life his is, and simply seeing Harris and speaking to him will no doubt be a very vivid reminder to that fact. He has her eyes, you know." The teen huffed slightly at the eyes that were fixed upon him, crossing his arms impatiently. "To regain his sanity, he must remember his purpose in this life. To do that, he needs to acknowledge the fact that his wife has died and he _must_ move on. His soul is what carries that acknowledgement and forgiveness."

Harris couldn't help but lean in to whisper in Heero's ear. "What does he mean?"

Heero's lips twitched minutely in what Harris was guessing was amusement. At least, he hoped so. "In order to regain Riddle's sanity, he must restore his soul. Only then can he move past his grief and heal his mind."

Now _that_ explanation he could understand. Sort of.

"If seeing and talking to Harris will snap that mind back into working order, why can't we just introduce the two?" Tic asked, not flinching when multiple snarls of rage sounded throughout the room. "What? That's the easiest way."

"There is no way to confirm that Harris will be completely unharmed." Zechs said stiffly, glaring at the golden-haired werewolf.

"He's right, Tic." Sahliden said, his chiding and more than a little irritated at his brother's thick-headedness. "Though you never consider your own safety, you must think of the safety of others."

Tic ducked his head in consternation before he glanced apologetically at the pilots and Harris. "Sorry, guys."

Only Quatre and Duo nodded their acceptance of the apology. Harris was too busy staring at the large cat that came sauntering into the room. The gleaming silver spikes on his ears and tail informed Harris that Flit's change truly wasn't a part of his imagination.

"Your hellcat almost ate me when I tried to move you to the couch." Tic's voice had the long, sleek body twitching in annoyance. Harris managed to tear his eyes from the cat to glance fleetingly up at the werewolf. "Had to get Grumpy over there to call him off."

Harris's gaze darted between the blank faces of hero, Trowa, and Wufei as he felt a vague sense of confusion. Which one would be considered 'Grumpy'? All three stared back with no expression whatsoever. Quatre apparently sensed his confusion, seeing as laughter flashed across his face and he subtly twitched a finger towards Wufei.

"Flit was just trying to protect me." Harris murmured after a shy nod to Wufei to convey his thanks. Those onyx eyes grew a tad bit warmer.

Flit's ears perked up at his name, and the large cat trotted over to sit at Harris's feet, though not before rubbing the length of his furry body along the Nataku pilot's leg.

Harris had the strangest feeling that Wufei had only pulled Flit off of the teen with a very grudging attitude-something which Flit had no doubt sensed.

"Hello Flit." Harris murmured, running a finger over the hardened fur of his not-so-small kitten. It felt strange. Harder than fur or feathers, but softer than any plastic or metal.

Flit purred in contentment.

"That monster is called _Flit?_" Harris glanced up at Tic's disbelieving voice and blinked.

"He used to be smaller." He murmured.

The teen gave an astonished laugh as he stared at the huge cat. "Smaller." He snorted. "Right."

"Enough, Octavian." Garret spoke, his voice stern and steady.

Immediately Tic clamped his mouth shut, as if he was utterly terrified at the mere _idea_ of disappointing his father. Thinking about it, Harris knew he could relate. He would feel lower than the lowest scum of the earth if he did anything to disappoint any of his family, just as he knew he would absolutely die if he hurt Duo. The mere thought of causing a frown to appear on the normally grinning face would through him into something beyond agony. Duo, so gentle and kind to him and always making him feel at ease. Who had helped show him what it was to have a true family.

His eyes watered as pain spilled into his heart like a physical blow. The sudden urge to be close to the braided pilot was only intensified when his eyes caught those violet ones. The Deathscythe pilot seemed to understand his need, for Duo quickly sauntered over and plopped himself down next to them. Putting slightly at his boyfriend, Duo deftly tugged Harris onto his lap.

"You have had him long enough." He told the Japanese teen petulantly, cuddling Harris like a beloved doll. "It's my turn."

Prussian eyes reflected their mild confusion, but the Wing Zero pilot made no other comment. Harris tucked his head underneath Duo's chin, hearing the comforting _whoosh whoosh!_ that was Duo's breath and feeling the pilot's steady heartbeat. As he glanced up, Quatre caught his eye and smiled his understanding.

"Hellcats have the unique ability of shrinking their bodies down into something that appears less harmful." Harris tuned his ears back into the lecturing tones of the vampire. To be honest, Harris found himself struggling to keep his eyes open at Sahli's voice. It sounded like he was reciting something from a book or a history lesson.

The vampire droned on. "They first appeared in the year of Justinian's reign in Constantinople, where they assisted in causing the chaos in the Nika Revolt. They were quite disappointed then the majority of the Byzantines prevailed…well, long enough to repair the damage that loosing thousands of protesters did to the Byzantine population."

Harris felt a sleepy twinge of pride when he recognized the name Byzantine and remenmbered that Constantinople was now called Istanbul. Wufei's history and geography lessons were finally paying off, it seemed. Shifting slightly, he made a greater effort to stay awake.

"Years later, the Ministry of Magic-then known as Arthur's Knights or the Knights of the Round Table- proclaimed that no hellcat or any other 'dark creature' should be allowed free reign over the lands. Those that ere found were marked as dangerous and deadly and thrown into camps. Those that were cleaver enough to get away lived in hiding, only emerging from their refuge when absolutely necessary." Sahliden's voice grew bitter as he remarked, "it hasn't changed much."

Harris was glad when Flit rose from the floor to rub his great black body against his and Duo's legs, even if it did almost knock him from his perch.

"So it is…illegal, to be anything but human?" When Quatre phrased it that way, it sounded utterly ridiculous.

Nevertheless, Sahliden nodded wordlessly before adding, "That is why we sided with Tom."

"So what will happen now?" Harris let the question slip from his lips in a murmur, afraid to break the contemplative silence that had descended upon the others.

Duo gave him an enthusiastic hug and declared with an excided snarl.

"Now we shake up their world."

And then the house blew up.

XXX

**A/N: Hehe…oops? Three months and some change to update, leaving you guys with another cliffhanger; I'm awfully mean, aren't I? Oh well. No, seriously guys-I'm sorry. I had everything written up, but I simply forgot to type it and post it. Chapter 14 is already started, though. Please don't shoot me? For those of you who had questions, I hope at least some of them got answered in this chapter. If not, I'll see what I can do. I don't like leaving someone confused…unless it's deliberate, of course. Anyways, Happy belated Easter…and Valentines Day…and New Year. And whatever else.**

** As always, ****Criticism will be smiled at, Flames will be scoffed at, and this website will be snarled at.**

**Reviews are nice.**

**Ciao! **

**Hades27**


	14. Chapter 14

"Damn it!"

It was Wufei's voice that groaned out the expletive. His breath was warm and smelt of his usual cinnamon spice toothpaste that he used. It washed across Harris's face from where he lay cradled in the Chinese pilot's arms.

"Nii-san?" He whispered, fear flickering through him at the darkness that was his sight. A warm, calloused hand settled across the back of his neck, pressing his face into the hollow of the elder man's neck.

"Try not to breathe in the dust, otouto."

Fear wormed its way inside his chest, clawing at his heart with its greedy fingers. It quickened his breath and put a tremble into his body. Wufei's hand held him even closer.

"Easy, little one." The Nataku pilot said, his own voice harsh and short, though Harris wasn't quite sure if it was directed at him or if it was the effect of something else. "Stay still and listen closely. Can you hear it?"

Harris strained his ears when Wufei fell silent, both listening earnestly. At first, he could hear nothing but his own trembling breaths, but then he heard it. At first, it was simply a faint scratching, but slowly-ever so slowly-the sound became louder and louder, growing in volume until Harris could finally make out what seemed to be voices shouting and heavy objects moving around. One of them in particular stood out.

"You backstabbing bastard!"

It was Duo's voice, filled with rage. His harsh rebukes were enunciated by a particularly loud crash. "You tiny-footed, pussy licking shit eating maggot infested _moron!_ If I get my hands on you, you dickless bastard, I will blow your ass to kingdom come! You won't be able to tell your head from your ass when I'm done with you, you fucking _coward_!"

"It had to be done!" Sahliden's normally cool voice was raised in both agitation and quite a bit of smugness as well. Of course, Harris couldn't help but note that it was laced with a healthy dose of nervousness as well. Most likely from the violet-eyed menace that was also the self-proclaimed God of Death.

"Had to my ass!" Duo snapped. Harris could imagine the way Shinigami's icy blue eyes would override the cheery violet.

"Maxwell, I needed to-"

"I don't give a flying fuck what ya needed! Ya sold us out, you spineless-"

"I think that that is enough, Mr. Maxwell."

Harris's breath caught at the familiar beguiling voice. Sahliden wouldn't have informed Dumbledore of their location, not right after Tic had rescued them…would he?

"You!" That was Quatre's voice, but yet it wasn't. It couldn't be. It was to mean. Wuatre would never sound that lethal.

"How far are you willing to go to keep the boy, hmm?" The old man's voice sent a shiver down Harris's spine, and suddenly he was glad that Quatre sounded mean, because then that ment that the blond could certainly take care of the bad man.

"We do not have to answer you, pervert." Duo's voice interrupted any answer the Sandrock pilot might have had. "Either kill us or let us go."

The old man emitted an eerie chuckle that sent the hairs on Harris's neck rise and Wufei's arms hold him tighter.

"Oh, but I have a different plan for you, boys. Your friends might have escaped, but if they wish to see you again-your funeral doesn't count-than they must give me Harry Potter."

Someone snickered. "You really don't get it, do you? That boy, the one you want to be your little hero? He doesn't exist. Not anymore. And we are glad for that. Harry Potter was a poor soul, but we have made the boy he is now. He is much stronger-strong enough to beat you. Kidnap us, and you will only stir the bee's nest."

Harris's jaw would have dropped if he wasn't lying down. That must have been the longest speech he had ever heard Trowa utter.

"I have seen him. He is too weak to conquer me. Too vulnerable." Dumbledore's voice was proud and arrogant. Harris didn't like it one bit.

"No, but his mind is growing stronger by the day. What was that motto I saw? Ah, yes. Never tickle a sleeping dragon." Quatre chuckled darkly, and the sound must have sent shivers up Dumbledore's spine, for it certainly did with Harris's. "I am afraid, Headmaster Dumbledore, that you have done more than tickle this time."

You are not dragons, nor does that metaphor fit what you truly are. Come, Alastor. Tie them up and take them to Hogwarts." The old man's voice lashed with anger, but once again Harris could not help but smirk at the not-so-subtle insult that Duo shot them, accompanied no doubt via a different kind of salute, if Quatre's light chastisement was anything to go by.

It was at that moment that Heero spewed out a rapid string of Japenese, too quick for Harris to even attempt to understand. Wufei, however, seemed to know what the perfect soldier way saying, for his lips turned up into a snarling grin against Harris's hair.

The old man seemed to be waiting for something, but Harris did not expect to hear three loud pops go off in rapid succession. Then, all was silent.

"Stay close." Wufei murmured into his ear, shifting slightly in preparation to extract them from underneath the debris.

And then they were out. The Nataku pilot crept out of the rubbish, his right hand clenched around his gun, and the other carefully assisting Harris in his clamber out of their temporary refuge.

"Clear!"

The word was hissed, but Harris could still hear it clearly, as could Wufei.

"Clear." The Chinese man stated calmly.

Within an instant the blond haired Zechs appeared, his lips pursed in anger.

"Harris!" The pilot hissed, his eyes shining with relief. "Thank heavens you are allright!"

"Silence!" Wufei hissed. "They still might be here."

Zechs looked at Harris's Nii-san with grim eyes. "Those pops you heart are called apparition." The blond said shortly. "Teleportation, or so Garrett had said. They are gone."

His eyes flickered to the right, and Harris held back a scream at the sight of Garrett's body, face slack with death. Lying next to the centaur was none other than Tic, limbs sprawled out in a parody of his relaxed sprawl he usually sat in.

"Don't look, child." Zechs ordered not unkindly.

"Come: we must leave before they return."

Harris's determinedly did not look at the body of the dead werewolf as he let his nii-san begin to lead him out. Then, Octavian's body coughed.

Three pairs of eyes snapped to the werewolf as he hacked once more before slowly sitting up. Golden eyes blinked blurrily up at them. "…ouch."

Harris' lips twitched at the muttered confession.

"You should be dead."

Tic's spine slowly straightened at Zech's cold words.

"Hell no," he said indignantly. "I'm alive because werewolves are hardier than most. Not because of some plot or because I was consorting with the bad guys." Something flickered in his eyes. It almost seemed like fear, to Harris' eyes. "Speaking of; who _were_ the bad guys?"

"Sahlidin." Wufei's voice was still colder than normal, but it did not lack compassion.

The werewolf didn't shout out in a vehement denial like Harris thought he might. Instead, he gave a violent shudder, almost as if he were trying to shake off a bad smell. His face hardened and he painstakingly made his way to his feet.

"Well, then." Tic rasped. "Looks like I'm an only child now."

"Orphan."

The word might have been blunt and unkind, but the tone was understanding and for that Harris shot Zechs a grateful smile.

If Tic flinched at the not so unexpected revelation of the loss of his foster father, Harris didn't see it.

"Mission?"

Harris looked up at Wufei, for once not afraid of the consequences of his words, only the consequences of his inaction.

"We have to get the others!"

Wufei looked torn, an expression that Harris had never seen before on the oriental man's noble face. "Harris…"

"No!" Harris jutted out his jaw stubbornly and yanked on his braid in emphasis.

For a moment, both Zechs and Wufei looked as if they were hit in the gut, but just as Harris started to shift uncomfortably, the blond broke out into a quiet smirk and Wufei did nothing to hide his smile. "You are spending too much time with Duo, little one."

Not entirely sure what to make of the strange shift of subject, Harris blinked and tugged on his braid impatiently. "Please, nii-san!" He pleaded.

A hand landed on his shoulder and he looked up to find the sixth pilot's unusually gentle blue eyes gazing down on him.

"Easy, little one." He murmured, his grip tightening in comfort. "We will get the others back. I promise."

He didn't relax. He saw the look Wufei shot his lover. "Swear!" He half-pleaded, half-demanded. His eyes were _not_ watering! "On your honor. Please?"

Wufei gave him a long, measuring look before he said decisively "I swear."

Harris felt his shoulders slump with relief, but they tensed at Wufei's next words. "However, otouto, we must wait to carry out this mission."

Harris opened his mouth to reply, but the Chinese male stayed his tongue with an upraised hand.

"Duo and Heero are incredibly smart, little one. They will inform us of their location once they are alone, as will Trowa and Quatre, if they are able."

To his horror, Harris' eyes began watering even as he strove desperately for control. "How will they tell you? Won't the wizards know?"

Wufei's lips quirked up into a smug grin. "Fortunately for us, the wizards who have captured our brothers do not seem to be very astute., They underestimate us and do not understand the intricacy or durability of modern technology."

Harris must have given Wufei a look, for the man chuckled and reiterated.

"They will call us."

Harris blinked. "Oh."

Zechs grinned and moved to stand beside his lover. "Almost too simple, correct?"

Harris nodded. "But Heero will get them out, even if the wizards are smarter than he thinks."

The blond pilot ruffled his hair and said with great confidence. "Yes, green eyes. Heero will get them out."

Harris allowed himself to feel Zech's confidence in Heero, permitting it to reassure him, if only for a little while. They would get the others back. It was only a matter of time.

XXX

"That's right, you motherfu-"

"Duo."

Duo Maxwell, thief and ex-street rat extraordinaire froze, his sense of smell and touch sharpening with focus and making up for his loss of sight. The sharp tang of metal and that particular _scent_ that belonged to none other than his boyfriend made him relax a fraction. A sharp scuff pinged through his ears as Heero deliberately dragged his feet, alerting him to just how close the other pilot was-and also just how absurdly tiny their cell was.

One warm hand brushed lightly across his skin and he breathed out a sigh of relief when the hand gave a small, reassuring squeeze. Heero was unharmed.

"Well." He said lightly, "At least they were kind enough to put us up in the same room."

"Hn. A little lax on the lighting."

"01-making a joke? Inconceivable." He grinned in the darkness. "Well there is a first for everything."

A hand gently tapped his head. "Baka."

"Where are the others?"

"Here."

The light, placid voice of Quatre called from what seemed to be across from their cell, at least, that was what Duo deduced from when he moved towards the voice of his comrade and smacked into the cold iron bars of the cell door.

"Hey 04!" He called out cheerfully. "Did you hear Heero's joke? I think hell just froze over!"

A quiet snort resounded from the other cell, too low for the small blond to make.

"03!" He crowed, pressing up against the bars as if he could actually see the Heavyarms pilot. "Always nice to hear your dulcet tones. Anything new happenin'?"

They saw behind his casual façade, as usual.

"We are not injured, Shinigami." Trowa's voice was the same monotone droll that he always used in the midst of hostiles.

Duo released the breath he hadn't even known he was holding. Onto lighter topics, then. "So…are wizards really as dumb as we suspect they are?"

He was rewarded with snorts, chuckles, and one 'hn' of amusement.

"Enroute."

So Heero already sent word to the others. Nothing else to do except wait.

Well, in that case…

"Shall we start off with 'Puff the Magic Dragon'?" He chirped brightly.

Ignoring the curses thrown his way, Duo started off what would most certainly be a very long wait for rescue.

XXX

**This is not an update. I simply fixed a couple of mistakes. Special thanks to mist shadow for catching them!**

**A/N: That is the end of chapter 14. Hope you enjoyed, if not…why are you still reading my fic? Lol, sorry! I have had a veeeeery long week. Or month. Well, okay it's a very long year. Selling our house sucks. Anybody looking for a ranch style home located in the middle of nowhere? Yeah, thought not. Anyhoo, what's up? Terribly sorry for the long wait. Time flies when you're on the clock. Any new fics I should worry about reading? Sooo excited for the Hobbit to come out! I'm going to the Midnight Premiere! I cannot wait! Well, that's all for now, folks. I'll try to update again soon, but you know how that goes. And as always: ** **Criticism will be smiled at, Flames will be scoffed at, and this website will be snarled at.**

**Reviews are nice.**

**Ciao! **

**Hades27**


	15. Chapter 15-well, not really

Hiya kiddies! So sorry-in case you didn't know, this is not a story. Just a stupid A/N. Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm still alive and kicking. The crappy thing called writers block reared up and whacked me in the face for the past…however long I've been gone. But don't worry- I'm starting to work on my fic once more. It might take some time, but I'll try to replace this note with an actual chapter once I remember where I was trying to go with this story. Again, sorry about this not being an actual chapter-I hate it when that happens (drives me nuts) but I just wanted to let you guys know I'm not planning on abandoning this fic!

Later!

Hades27


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